Seong-jun returned home from the hideout.
It was already past 3 AM, so he took a quick shower and lay down on the bed.
“The realm of transcendence beyond S-rank. The Grand Lord, huh. I pride myself on being stronger than the average S-rank, but not to the point of using the word ‘transcendence.'”
If you’re just a bit stronger than an average S-rank, you can’t call it transcendence.
Seong-jun’s current base stats were nearly ten times higher than an average S-rank—strictly speaking, he possessed SS-rank base stats.
But even so, the difference wasn’t enough to use the word transcendence.
“You’d need at least the next level, SS-rank, to call it the realm of transcendence. Surely the Grand Lord doesn’t have SS-rank level? If so, it’ll be a very disadvantageous fight.”
Even if the Grand Lord truly was SS-rank, Seong-jun didn’t think he would definitely lose.
After all, Seong-jun practically had SS-rank base stats, and if he mobilized everything he had, he believed he could make up for any deficits.
But even so, he couldn’t be certain of victory.
Because unless he knew the true abilities of the entity called the Grand Lord, he couldn’t casually claim victory.
So he had to prepare as much as possible.
“Besides, the risk is too great to rely on my companions. Casualties could occur. I need to handle it on my own if possible.”
His companions’ awakening ranks were at most B-rank.
Yuseon had a hidden class so she was practically A-rank, but still, she was B-rank.
With Seong-jun’s buffs, they could display power equivalent to S-rank, but that was the limit.
Facing a Grand Lord said to have entered the realm of transcendence would almost certainly result in casualties.
In that case, it was better for Seong-jun to face him alone.
“Haa, there’s no choice? I wanted to meet her naturally when the time came, but now is not the time to be picky.”
Seong-jun, who had been lying on the bed staring at the ceiling, soon pulled something out of his subspace.
Whoosh!
It was a statue of the Goddess of Light, Hemeias.
“Since it’s come to this, I should beg for something. Shall I go meet her?”
Having said that, Seong-jun infused Divine Power into the statue.
Hum…!
Then the statue began to emit a faint light.
At the same time.
[You have used the Invitation of the Goddess of Light Hemeias. Hemeias invites you.]
A notification sound indicating the invitation had been used was heard.
Then a golden portal appeared next to the bed.
“Just like last time.”
As the portal formed, Seong-jun’s body slowly rose while still lying down, and soon he was sucked into the portal.
Whoosh!
The place he entered through the portal was the same temple he had visited before.
Upon entering the temple, Seong-jun immediately approached the statue of the goddess.
Thump, thump.
Then a voice came from the statue.
-You used the invitation even though it wasn’t time yet.
“That’s right. I’m in a bit of a hurry. But when exactly is ‘the time’? I thought reaching S-rank would be enough, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. What, do I need to reach SSS-rank?”
If A-rank was the threshold for a true beginning, he judged S-rank was enough to prove his qualifications.
Yet even after reaching S-rank, he hadn’t received Hemeias’s invitation.
“So that means I can receive things meant for SS-rank ahead of time?”
-Not everything, only what I can grant at this stage.
But it will still be helpful to you.
“That’s enough. I’m in a hurry. The one I’ll have to face soon has surpassed S-rank and entered the realm of transcendence. It will take considerable time to reach the next rank, and to survive, I need to become stronger than I am now.”
It was uncertain how much what he received from Hemeias would help in the fight against the Grand Lord, but Seong-jun judged it would be better than nothing.
-There are three things I can do for you at this stage.
First, I will make you my proxy.
From now on, you are the true Saint who represents the Goddess of Light, Hemeias.
Seong-jun’s current class was Saint of Radiance.
It was the same class as Hermia Jaylin, who was the Saintess of Radiance, but there was one difference.
That was whether or not Hemeias had acknowledged him.
When his rank rose to S-rank, his class upgraded to Saint of Radiance, but that was just a class name; he hadn’t actually been acknowledged by Hemeias.
But now he had become a true Saint, backed by Hemeias’s recognition.
[The Goddess of Light Hemeias has made you her proxy. A new title, [God’s Proxy], has been added.]
The title God’s Proxy had been added.
‘God’s Proxy?’
Seong-jun immediately checked the title.
[Title] [S-rank] God’s Proxy [1/5]
A title granted to one who represents the Goddess of Light, Hemeias.
– All Divine Magic efficiency +50%.
– Damage of attack magic against Dark Attribute targets +100%.
– Buff and healing skill efficiency against Light Attribute targets +50%.
– Additional Divine Power +50,000,000
– Divine Power recovery rate +100%.
– Divine Magic cooldown reduction 30%.
God’s Proxy increased everything related to Divine Magic comprehensively.
It raised Divine Magic efficiency by a full 50%, and against Dark Attribute targets, attack magic damage increased by 100%.
In other words, attack magic would deal a total of 150% increased damage against Dark Attribute targets.
On the other hand, buffs and healing skills against Light Attribute targets would have an additional 50% effect, resulting in a total of 100% increased buff and healing power.
Moreover, an additional 50 million Divine Power was added, and Divine Power recovery increased by 100%.
But the biggest jackpot among these was the 30% reduction in Divine Magic cooldown.
For example, God’s Wrath and Radiant Wind, which had a 50-minute cooldown, were drastically reduced to 35 minutes.
‘Wow! This alone is amazing. With this, it’ll be a great help against the Grand Lord.’
Just the title God’s Proxy alone seemed like it would be a tremendous help in the fight against the Grand Lord.
-Second, I will grant you a power. Through this power, you will be able to temporarily increase the abilities of your allies.
[You have learned the Power-level skill [Saint’s Guardian].]
“Power?”
Seong-jun could instinctively tell that this Power-level skill was on a different dimension from ordinary skills.
[Power] Saint’s Guardian [1/10]
A powerful power granted only to God’s Proxy.
– Can designate up to 10 Awakened as Guardians.
– When a Guardian is appointed, they rise to the same rank as the caster for a certain duration. [If the Guardian is already higher rank than the caster, no rank change.]
– When rank increases due to appointment, new skills appropriate to that rank are created, including base stats. [When Guardian is dismissed, skills are also deleted.]
Casting Time: [Instant]
Duration: [1 hour]
Mana Cost: [1,500,000]
Cooldown: [6 hours]
The skill Saint’s Guardian allowed him to designate someone as a Guardian for up to 1 hour, and during that hour, they would become the same rank as Seong-jun.
That meant since Seong-jun was currently S-rank, he could instantly elevate Gwang-taek, Yuseon, and Chang-su from B-rank to S-rank.
What was important here was that it didn’t just raise base stats; it also created new skills appropriate for S-rank.
Of course, the moment the hour passed and the Guardian status was released, their rank would revert and the newly created skills would be deleted.
But still, for that one hour, they could exert the full abilities of an S-rank.
With Seong-jun’s buffs added, they would display power far surpassing S-rank.
‘This is insane too? That means if I reach SS-rank, I can make others SS-rank level too? Anyway, cooldown is 6 hours but duration is 1 hour. If the skill levels up, will the duration or cooldown adjust?’
It was certainly an incredible ability that lived up to the name ‘Power,’ but the only downside was that the duration was only 1 hour.
If the skill leveled up, the duration might increase or cooldown might decrease, but it was uncertain whether he could level it by the time he fought the Grand Lord.
So the best course was to aim for settling the fight within 1 hour.
-Now for the last one.
Under these circumstances, the last thing I can give you is this.
As she finished speaking, something radiating a faint light slowly floated toward Seong-jun.
Thud!
Seong-jun caught it with his hand and looked puzzled.
“Huh? This… Ah! Holy Water of Experience Growth?”
What Hemeias had given him as the final benefit was none other than the Holy Water of Experience Growth.
The very same holy water that had instantly elevated Seong-jun from A-rank to S-rank.
Of course, while at A-rank he had accumulated quite a bit of experience by clearing B-rank and even A-rank dungeons several times, but still it was a powerful holy water that instantly resolved months’ worth of experience.
That holy water had been given to Seong-jun once again.
-It will slightly shorten the time needed to reach the next stage.
Seong-jun estimated that maintaining his current hunting pace would take at least a year or more to reach the next rank.
But using the Holy Water of Experience would drastically reduce that period to within a year.
Furthermore, if he raised his main hunting grounds from B-rank to A-rank, that period would shorten even more.
‘If I use the newly obtained God’s Proxy title and Saint’s Guardian, clearing A-rank dungeons won’t be impossible. And with the Holy Water of Experience Growth, I can dramatically reduce the time to the next level.’
Though it was uncertain whether the next level would bring a rank increase, if by any chance he could reach SS-rank, he would be in an unrivaled position among all hunters in the world.
And that’s not all.
He didn’t know how great the master of Revolution was, but he thought he might be able to contend with them.
“Contacting Lady Hemeias through the statue seems to have been a masterstroke. This will be a great help against the Grand Lord. Thank you.”
The Holy Water of Experience Growth might not help in the immediate fight against the Grand Lord, but the first benefit, God’s Proxy, and the second, Saint’s Guardian, would clearly be a huge help against him.
Especially since he could temporarily make Gwang-taek, Yuseon, and Chang-su into S-rank, the burden of deploying them in the fight would be much lighter.
-There is something else you should know.
The unknown power that has encroached upon the Forest of Darkness has begun to stir again.
That means it can affect your world in some way too.
The unknown power suspected to be the main culprit sending monsters from the Forest of Darkness to this world through dungeons.
It had been quiet for some reason until now, but it seemed to have suddenly started exerting its influence on the Forest of Darkness.
That meant it could also affect the dungeons in this world in some way.
“‘Power? What exactly is this unknown power? Can’t even you, a goddess named Hemeias, do anything about it?'”
-I don’t know where that power comes from or what it is.
And it’s so strong that with the power I can project to the ground, I can’t handle it at all.
Of course, if I project my full divine power, it would be different, but for that, I need a vessel that can withstand that power.
Right now, you are the most promising, but simply reaching the final stage might not be enough.
You must go beyond the final stage that Hermia Jaylin achieved to an even higher stage.
The unknown power was so strong that it rivaled a god’s power.
To counter that power, Hemeias’s full power would need to be projected, but there was currently no vessel capable of handling that power.
Even Hermia Jaylin, who had reached EX-rank, was trapped in a dungeon because she couldn’t break through the unknown power, so what more could be said?
To accept divine power comparable to the unknown power, one had to reach a rank beyond the EX-rank that Hermia Jaylin had achieved.
“‘A rank beyond EX-rank? Ha! Is that even possible? Frankly, even EX-rank is a transcendent, divine ability in our world. And you’re telling me to go beyond that?'”
-The unknown power will never be satisfied with the current situation.
It will use the monsters of the Forest of Darkness to pressure your world further, and unless it’s stopped, immense chaos will eventually engulf your world.
Whether it’s possible or not is not the issue.
If you want to protect your world, you must do it no matter what.
He couldn’t know what the unknown power was, but it was certain that it had caused the connection between that world and this world through the medium of dungeons.
And the unknown power, which had been dormant for a long time, seemed to have recently started moving.
He didn’t know what effect it would have on this world, but in the current situation, all Seong-jun could do was grow, as Hemeias had said.
“‘Anyway, right now, even reaching SS-rank is hard, let alone EX-rank. A stage beyond EX-rank is a distant future for me. I don’t know if I can do it, but for now, I’ll focus on growing step by step along the given path.'”
-Yes.
If you climb step by step like that, a new path will open at the end.
So don’t be impatient and proceed slowly.
By the way, the allotted time for the invitation is almost up.
“Thanks to you, I gained a lot. I’ll see you next time.”
-Don’t forget that you are my proxy, wherever and whenever.
Then let us look forward to meeting again when you reach the next stage.
As soon as she finished speaking, as if time was up, Seong-jun’s body was sucked into the portal again.
Whoosh!
When Seong-jun opened his eyes after returning to reality through the portal, he was lying on his bed, just like last time.
Seong-jun sat up in bed.
“Hoo, I don’t know when the Grand Lord will enter Korea, but I’ll be busy for a while. My companions will also need to adapt to the new abilities.”
Even though there was a 1-hour duration and 6-hour cooldown, for that one hour they would obtain abilities and skills equivalent to S-rank.
If he wanted his companions’ help against the Grand Lord, they would need time to adapt to that power.
Seong-jun planned to start from tomorrow.
*
Basement 2 of the hideout, early morning.
Gwang-taek, Yuseon, and Chang-su were looking at Seong-jun with bewildered expressions.
“‘So you’re saying we’ll rise to S-rank? Not just our base stats, but even new skills appropriate for S-rank will be created?'”
“That’s right. Of course, after an hour, the newly acquired skills will be deleted, but at least for that one hour, you can exert the full abilities of an S-rank. It’s worlds apart from just raising base stats with All-in-One.”
Seong-jun told his companions about the new power, the Guardian ability.
His companions looked incredulous, but none of them took his words lightly.
Because they knew Seong-jun wasn’t the type to make empty claims.
Then Seon-hwa asked with a puzzled look.
“‘But does that power apply to me too?'”
At Seon-hwa’s question, Seong-jun shook his head.
“I’m not sure yet. It’s a power that matches the rank of those appointed as Guardians to my rank. But you don’t have a rank, do you? No status window either. We’ll have to test it to see if it works.”
Seon-hwa was a chimera, not an Awakened.
So she didn’t have an awakening rank like other Awakened, nor did she have basic systems like a status window.
Therefore, it was uncertain whether the Guardian power would apply to Seon-hwa as well.
“‘So we have to train hard to adapt starting today?'”
“The most important thing is adapting to the new skills. You need to be able to handle them as freely as if they were your original skills.”
Since they were new skills and also S-rank skills, each one would be very powerful.
He judged that to understand what those skills were and to use them without resistance at the right moment, sufficient adaptation training was necessary.
“‘By the way, how powerful are those Grand Lord guys? The realm of transcendence—I can’t even grasp it.'”
The identity of the entities called Grand Lords, as heard from Seong-jun.
The others were naturally tense.
After all, they were transcendents.
“‘Still, we have a good chance. We’ll also display power exceeding S-rank. Plus, there are many ways to drastically lower his abilities. So don’t worry and focus on adapting. Then let’s quickly enter. Ah! Just so you know, we won’t come out until we clear the dungeon. We’ll be in the dungeon for at least two days, so contact home in advance if you need to.'”
Since it also served as training, Seong-jun planned to not come out of the dungeon until they cleared it.
“‘What? What if that Grand Lord enters Korea as soon as tomorrow?'”
“Since his goal is to eliminate me, he’ll wait until I show up. He’ll do whatever it takes.”
It was uncertain if the Grand Lord would actually enter Korea, but if he did, his target was Seong-jun.
So until Seong-jun showed himself outside, he would wait willingly.
“‘Well, that makes sense. The desperate one will wait. Let’s go.'”
And so they quickly entered the dungeon.