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HELHEIM SCANS
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Chapter 34: Apostle Commander (1)
The Apostle Commander.
If one could summon 1,000 apostles, this would undoubtedly be the best ability.
However, this reward is only meaningful if awakened individuals from Earth are brought here.
But who in their right mind would come to Kevrian right now?
Even if they were summoned, the only merit for me would be a 5% experience bonus.
While it says I’d receive the goddess's preferential blessing, it would only be useful if there were many apostles.
In my current situation, where I am the only one, it’s utterly useless.
Looking at the clause that reduces the death penalty by half, it seems like a bait to lure people here.
If this ability worked on other planets and not just Kevrian, I would have chosen the Apostle Commander without hesitation...
Simply put, the Spirit’s Blessing seems better, but something feels off.
I have a nagging feeling that I might regret choosing the Spirit’s Blessing.
Let’s re-evaluate.
If I choose the Spirit’s Blessing, the practical merit would likely be spirit affinity.
The Ruler of the Southern Gate gives bonus experience points.
As for the Apostle Commander, since there’s no mention that it’s limited to the fortress, it might provide massive benefits if we successfully transition from defense to offense...
Oh, right, there’s the main quest.
[Main Quest]
[Difficulty: Impossible]
[Defend Train Fortress for 100 days.]
[Quest Completion Rewards]
SP: 100,000
Achievement: "Footsteps of the Savior"
Titles: "Kevrian Hero," "Challenger of the Impossible"
3 Random Skill Boxes (Grade B or higher)
3 Random Item Boxes (Grade B or higher)
What an incredible quest reward.
It’s been just over a month since I annihilated the vanguard and opened the sanctuary, meaning there are about 70 days left.
If I can just hold out for that long, I’ll get all this.
That changes the situation.
Even if I received the Spirit’s Blessing, it wouldn’t be as powerful as 1,000 D-rank awakened individuals.
If the enemies turn out to be too weak, the Spirit’s Blessing might be better.
But judging by the quest's difficulty, that seems unlikely.
Considering the main quest rewards, I thought of choosing the Apostle Commander immediately, but I decided to visit Earth and gauge the atmosphere first.
If no one wants to come, saying, "Kevrian? That insane difficulty? No way," then it’d be better to take the Spirit’s Blessing, which could at least help a bit in the defensive battle.
"When do you think the enemy will arrive?"
"They will likely reach us in ten days,"
Replied the command staff when I asked.
This seems like the perfect time to return.
If the atmosphere on Eshtar Planet is oversaturated and people are looking for alternative places, the Apostle Commander could work well.
Let’s see... Time to return for now.
After a long absence, I returned to the familiar but now slightly alien top floor of the Association.
Alena rushed out as soon as I arrived, grabbing my hand tightly.
"What on earth happened?!"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Not just her, but dwarves and elves gathered around me as well.
Their eyes were filled with awe and admiration.
"The planet's difficulty has changed!"
"The difficulty?"
Oh?
This might work well to attract people.
"Yes. From Impossible to Very Difficult!"
"Very Difficult? What’s the highest difficulty for other planets?"
"Of course, it’s just Difficult. Anyway, it’s the first time we’ve seen a planet's difficulty change. You’re truly amazing, Soul Mediator."
"How did this happen? What exactly occurred?"
I briefly explained the recent events to the surrounding assistants and started pondering.
From Impossible to Very Difficult.
Even if it had been just Difficult, it would’ve been much easier to attract people.
Still, Very Difficult is better than Impossible.
When I explained the Apostle Commander’s ability to the assistants and asked if it could attract people, they said it might work.
"Eshtar is quite saturated these days. There are many awakened individuals on Earth now, but they’re divided by nations and guilds, causing fierce competition for dungeon monopolies. If marketed properly, this could draw a large crowd. However, gathering a thousand people from Korea alone will be tough. You’d need to contact the World Awakened Association."
"I see."
"Luckily, the timing is good. In two days, Eshtar's destruction cycle begins. Once that happens, the hunters tied to Eshtar will be freed. It would be a great time to promote this."
"You used to tell people to commit suicide to get to Eshtar. Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Because we’ve witnessed the difficulty level drop with our own eyes. Plus, the Spirit Fortress has been rebuilt, so it’s worth a try now."
After asking for my phone number, Alena said she would contact the World Awakened Association headquarters herself.
As I left the Association, I tried reaching out to two hunters I knew—Lee Jinseong and Kang Shia—but neither answered, likely because they were in dungeons.
Two days later, I received a call from Kang Shia first.
-Jiho, I heard an interesting rumor. The difficulty of Kevrian dropped?"
"Yes. I did some good work."
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HELHEIM SCANS
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After explaining the recent events, I asked if this could motivate hunters to join.
Her response was more positive than I expected.
-The atmosphere on Eshtar is chaotic right now. Everyone knows the planet inside out, and dungeon competition is fierce. U.S. and Chinese hunters have even started fighting each other instead of monsters. Hunters from smaller countries don’t have enough numbers to compete. Many would be interested in your proposal.
"I see."
-But I’m not sure if you can gather a thousand people. Even with the death penalty reduced, losing 1.5 levels after three deaths is a significant risk. If people could grasp the actual difficulty, it’d help persuade them…
Losing 1.5 levels with the penalty and requiring five times more experience is indeed burdensome.
-Oh, by the way, have you heard of Recording Stones, Jiho?
"No, what are they?"
-They’re magical stones that allow you to record footage. You can take them into broken worlds and capture battle scenes. It might make it easier to convince people.
"I didn’t know such a thing existed. That’s a great idea."
-But it’d be better if multiple people recorded rather than just you, right? Could you include our Daehyun Guild in this?
"What? The Daehyun Guild?"
Wasn’t Daehyun Group a major corporation?
They must already have some stake in Eshtar.
When I shared my thoughts, she denied it.
-Daehyun may be a big name in Korea, but it’s nothing globally. Especially now, with the U.S. and China going all out to level up. Until recently, they maintained a minimum sense of decorum, but now they’re openly resorting to bullying tactics.
"I’m fine with it. How many members might participate?"
-Hmm… Not many. I’m not the guild master, so I can only influence about ten D-rank hunters.
"That's more than enough."
She said she would gather people today and wait at the top floor of the association building.
It was important to secure footage and promote it quickly before people started fresh in Eshtar.
When I called Jinseong, he gave a similar response.
-By coincidence, I also took out a full loan to get a spirit horse! I've been wanting to make a mark in a battlefield like that. Things have been chaotic lately. The Seomsang Guild had a decent stake in Eshtar, but the pressure from the state-backed guilds of powerful nations was too intense, so we lost some ground. That's why they’re focusing only on high-level members these days.
"Seems like not everything about an easy planet is good."
-Overcrowding is a problem wherever you go. I'll ask the idle D-rank hunters around me. About five might be interested.
He also agreed to gather people and come to the association in two hours.
Having nothing else to do, I went early to wait, and Elf Alena approached me.
"When I contacted the branches, they all showed great interest. They were especially excited about the stat boosts and reduced death penalties. Some affiliated hunters from China and Japan, being close to Korea, have already boarded planes and arrived in Seoul. Other countries are also dispatching hunters one after another."
"This is more popular than I expected."
"It shows how slow leveling up has become. The planet Eshtar couldn't handle Earth's population. Honestly, at this rate, achieving a B-rank, let alone a C-rank, would have been impossible."
The number of hunters headed to Korea was approximately 40, and they were said to be arriving soon.
It seemed like the sense of crisis felt by each country was stronger than I imagined.
Is leveling up that slow for everyone...?
I was tempted to choose the Blessing of the Spirits, but in this situation, the Apostle Commander option seemed more critical.
Even if I grew stronger alone, without backup from other hunters, survival would be uncertain—not just in the broken world, but in the world a year from now.
Spirit affinity could still be upgraded to C-rank later and sold in the SP store.
Let’s go for the 100,000 SP.
I reopened the quest window and chose Apostle Commander.
[You have chosen Apostle Commander.]
[A Command Window has been created.]
[You can now designate apostles to command through the Command Window.]
[The effects of command apply only on the planet Kevrian.]
It felt similar to party designations in games.
When I arrived at the top floor of the association, ten people, including Kang Shia, had already gathered.
They were members of the Daehyun Guild.
"Over here, Jiho."
I approached Kang Shia's group to take a closer look at their lineup.
Seven men and three women.
Judging by their gear, there were four warriors, three archers, and three mages.
"This is my friend, Lee Hyeju, who made the bet with me back then."
"Hello. I’m indebted to this lady quite often."
She had short, black, bobbed hair, a bare face without makeup, and a stern expression.
She had a pretty face but exuded a soldier-like aura, making her seem more imposing than feminine.
So this is the person who made the bet that led Kang Shia and me to meet?
But her demeanor feels more like a bodyguard than a friend.
"Is this the friend who turned Kang Shia into a warrior back then?"
"Yes. It was because of Hyeju that we made the bet."
Lee Hyeju seemed about to say something but closed her mouth, shooting a brief glare at Kang Shia.
This really feels less like a friendship and more like a bodyguard relationship.
Someone like her doesn't seem the type to make such bets...
Anyway, after getting introduced to everyone, I got straight to the point.
"I'm going to designate awakened individuals for command now. Please accept."
When I opened the Command Window and pressed the "Command Designation" button, a target designation message appeared.
I could designate everyone visible all at once.
After designating everyone and completing the acceptance process, their names filled the Command Window in a neat list.
"Jiho, I’m here too. Include me and my five people."
Good timing, as always.
I greeted Jinseong and the Seomsang Guild members and added them to the group.
"So, are we heading out now?"
Kang Shia asked excitedly.
"No, hunters from China and Japan are arriving soon. We'll include them before we go."
"That makes sense. For a siege, the more people, the better. By the way, is that person a friend of yours, Jiho?"
"Ah, yes. Kang Shia, this is Lee Jinseong."
"Kang Shia."
As we waited, members of the Daehyun and Seomsang Guilds exchanged greetings, and soon the hunters from China and Japan arrived.
"It’s an honor to meet you, Hunter Kim Jiho."
"I’ve heard much about your reputation."
The hunters from the two countries were incredibly polite.
A Korean-speaking hunter bowed at a 90-degree angle.
Is it because they know about my special class?
In any case, avoiding unnecessary conflicts was good.
After designating them all, the group totaled 55 members.
It was a decent fighting force.
"Now, let’s move out."
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HELHEIM SCANS
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