Chapter 14
Translator: Meg
Editor: Sotheno
Kang Shin-hyuk noticed he was only wearing his boxers after Claire had already left the hotel room. He took his blood-soaked underwear off and entered a luxurious bathroom that miraculously survived the War Troll's rampage. As he turned on the faucet, he thought he probably wouldn't get another chance to take a shower at such a luxurious hotel's sweet room any time soon.
'No, if I train my spiritual power further and graduate Shinyoung with top grades, perhaps. . . . . .'
Kang Shin-hyuk had the mindset of a petit bourgeois (1) until a few days ago, but he was now in a completely different circumstance.
The status upgrades he had received today were great enough to make his jaw drop to the floor. Though such a big change only signified how low his status levels were before. . . . . .
Neither was the price he paid for those changes trivial. First, there was the unbearable headache caused by his attempt to forcefully insert incomprehensible knowledge into his brain, and second, there was the pain of dragging his body to match his clumsy movements to the Godslayer's sword dance, causing his bones to twist and his muscles to rip apart. It was not a pleasant experience.
He didn't want to go through that experience ever again. If it wasn't for his laser-like concentration that he trained through blacksmithing and spiritual power training, Kang Shin-hyuk would have been the one to drop dead on the floor.
. . . . . . .It was an incredibly close battle.
"Dear Administrator, could you tell me more about that monster?"
[Its sudden appearance was unexpected.]
The Administrator responded as if it were waiting for Kang Shin-hyuk to ask the question.
[I have already explained that spirit power is an exceedingly rare type of power. Therefore, ordinary beings are unable to detect its presence, let alone track its whereabouts.]
"But that thing. . . . . ."
[The Troll is not the issue, but the axe that it was holding.]
The Administrator continued without pausing.
[That weapon was crafted by our dear member before the reincarnation. Because the monster was in possession of the weapon, it was able to track your exact location to this hotel.]
"No way."
Kang Shin-hyuk had never anticipated his suspicion would turn out to be true. Noticing him emit a deep sigh, the Administrator continued.
[Our dear member has crafted countless artifacts in his past life, and the artifacts have been disseminated to countless other dimensions. But you don't need to worry too much. The majority of those artifacts are owned by someone, and even if some were to be stolen, the chance of an enemy breaking through a gate on this planet with one of those weapons in hand is extraordinarily slim.]
'So you're telling me that I beat some astronomical odds today.'
Deep in his mind, Kang Shin-hyuk was suspecting that something else was happening-something he could not yet see.
Something even the Administrator didn't know about-or perhaps, didn't want to speak about. But thinking that he'd be unable to accomplish anything without putting his faith in the Administrator, Kang Shin-hyuk decided to trust its words and wait for the time being.
"Nothing like today's event should happen again for a while, right?"
[I guarantee.]
"I see."
Then there was only one thing left for him to do.
"I should train myself when I have the time."
[That's the correct attitude. A 10HP bonus from the Administrator!]
He was now able to reach a territory he couldn't reach before. He also knew what kind of effort he had to put in. The only thing left to do then, was to spend day and night training himself.
Compared to those days when he had to train like there was no tomorrow to compensate for his lack of mana, Kang Shin-hyuk was in an ideal condition; as long as he put in the effort, there were no bounds to how much he could grow. It was a blessing for someone who yearned to become a superhuman who has succeeded in defeating every monster.
'Open status.'
[Kang Shin-hyuk: C- Rank]
[Trait]
Awakened Fanged Wyvern (A+): Allows you to rapidly acquire martial arts techniques. Amplifies the effects of martial arts techniques and enhances your weapon's abilities.
[Physical Stats]
Strength: D+
Agility: C
Stamina: C-
[Special Ability]
Spirit Power: D
[Skill]
Fanged Wyvern Dance (S-): B-
Blacksmithing: E
" . . . . . .Great."
It seemed his previous level up was just a short while ago, and yet he had already leveled up to C- Rank.
As if that wasn't enough, his strength, which used to be at a mere D Rank, have now grown to an extent where he could compete to be one of the top 1st-year students at Shinyoung Academy. All in just a couple of days!
The rapid growth of his spiritual power required no mentioning. With its level at D rank, he could fight on equal terms with Shinyoung's Magic majors.
'By the time I finish all the Eiren Jellies, I may have grown much further than I initially expected.'
His skills have grown just as much as his statuses. While he was happy with the result of obtaining the knowledge to utilize spirit power more efficiently, he was most pleased with the upgraded Fanged Wyvern Dance.
The Fanged Wyvern Dance (S-) was the product of honing the only skill he had for five years, Eighteen Techniques (A). Considering the amount of time, it took for the skill to evolve, the Fanged Wyvern Dance's proficiency level had risen to B- Rank in no time.
'It's all thanks to the life or death battle with the Troll; I'm sure.'
Of course, the skill's growth was significantly influenced by the images of the sword dance that he had received from the Godslayer sword, but he was still deeply satisfied to watch the growth of a skill that has accompanied him since his awakening.
'I want to grow more.'
Kang Shin-hyuk murmured to himself with heavy determination while intently staring at his status menu. He didn't waste too much time indulging in his drastic growth; he was already looking beyond. He had been hungry for greater strength for far too long to be satiated at this point.
"Ah. . . . . . I'm hungry."
It had been only a matter of time before his hunger for power was overcome by a hunger for food.
"I shouldn't just call room service without Claire, right? Wait, come to think of it, why is no one coming up to check despite all the fuzz that was happening?"
It must have been the effect of the "Increased Blood Flow" buff-it was a great buff, for sure, but he was too hungry at the moment.
Kang Shin-hyuk quickly rinsed off the soap bubbles, wrapped a towel around his body, found a nightgown in the closet and wore it. When it came to luxurious hotels, everything was different, he thought.
"I'm here~"
When Kang Shin-hyuk, wearing a gown, glared at the minibar wondering if he could eat the snacks inside, Claire came bursting through the broken window. It was a splendid landing, just like before.
"The whole situation has been resolved, so you can now relax. Oh, did you take a shower? Great, I was just about to tell you to. How are your injuries?"
"I took a look while taking the shower, and they're gone without a trace. But. . . . . ."
He was about to say that she could've taken a normal route to the hotel room if the situation was resolved, but the words went right back in as he noticed a few plastic bags full of chickens in her hand.
"May I call you noona from now on?" (2)
"You're too easy. But I like that."
Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Claire with teary eyes as he accepted the chicken-filled plastic bag. Although he was still young, Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he had a clear criterion for distinguishing a good and a bad person.
If a person buys you chicken without expecting anything in return, that person was a good person. That natural law was never violated.
The Kang Shin-hyuk she saw a few hours ago, who was having a difficult time keeping his composure in front of her splendid beauty, was no longer at the present moment as he was overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement. Claire missed the previous Kang Shin-hyuk that was struggling to find the right ways to act in front of her.
"Hold on. Let's clean up the mess first."
Claire took a piece of paper out of her bag after handing over the plastic bags to Kang Shin-hyuk. The paper was covered in illegible magic symbols.
But when she put the piece of paper in the middle of the wreckage that was caused by the War Troll's rampage, the broken room began to miraculously return to its previous condition.
Torn curtains were woven back, broken windows were recovered, the broken sofa swallowed back its scattered pieces of foam as if time were being rewound and finally, the leather cover was neatly fixed.
"What in the world. . . . . . "
"Paying the compensation for damages may be cheaper, but this way is simpler, and I don't want to go out in the middle of the night looking for another room."
Speaking casually as if the spectacle she showed was nothing, Claire flung herself down on the sofa. Then she held out the plastic bags she had piled up on the other side to Kang Shin-hyuk.
"I bought you some clothes. Here."
"You didn't have to take care of me this much-thank you, noona."
"Well, if you think about it, it is my fault that you got into trouble. I'm the one who brought you here from your school, so it's obvious that I should take care of you."
His first impression of Claire was just a beautiful woman who often likes to go out for fun, but his image of her has drastically changed in the last couple of hours.
From admiring bartenders to thoughtfully taking care of him. . . . . . And buying him chickens! Kang Shin-hyuk had learned again it was foolish to judge a person by their appearance.
"By the way, there won't be any aftermaths of today's incident that you'll need to worry about."
As Kang Shin-hyuk changed his clothes and left the dressing room, Claire unwrapped the plastic bags containing the chickens and began to explain.
"A lot of events happened today, and it won't take much work to dispose of a single War Troll's dead body. Oh, and I won't forget to share the profits we gain from it. Its most important heart is missing, but if it's the corpse of a War Troll variant, you can at least expect to receive some pocket money."
Kang Shin-hyuk quickly snatched a piece of a chicken and put it into his mouth as he listened to her. He felt so energetic as to swallow the whole thing, including the bones.
"Actually I was told to keep the monster's break-in to this hotel a secret. Your fight with the War Troll did cause a lot of noise, but as you might know. . . . . ."
The sirens and the vibrations that filled the entire city had disappeared a little while ago.
"Of course, that's looking at it from other people's positions. If you wish to publicize today's incident, I can help you. As you might expect, a student defeating a B class monster is a big deal-it might even help with your assessment at school."
"Uhm. . . . . . I'm fine."
"You're fine with keeping it a secret?"
"Yes."
Kang Shin-hyuk firmly shook his head to Claire's offer. He was trying to sound serious, but the chicken in his mouth threw off the cool vibe he was aiming for.
"As I've said before, my victory over the War Troll was only due to your potion. Spreading news about something that I didn't accomplish with my own skills would only lead to more troubles. So I will train myself further and receive an assessment that's fair and square."
"I don't know, like I said, adding my potion to the story doesn't change how incredible your feat was. . . . . ."
"The effects I received from the potion were greatly amplified from the regular amount. Actually, it'd be more correct to say the potion was a good fit for me."
"What. . . . . . ?"
Judging the conversation might go on forever without the proper explanation, Kang Shin-hyuk decided to let out the truth.
Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed three pieces of chicken as he continued explaining to the red-haired beauty whose eyes had now widely opened.
"Not long ago, I awakened a power called 'spirit power' and the potion you gave me was infused with such power. The cocktail you made earlier was too, if I might add. That's why I received an effect several times stronger than the default effect."
"Spirit power?"
Claire looked surprised, as if someone smacked her with a bat from behind. She didn't seem totally unaware of spirit power's existence, but she seemed incredulous to hear the word's mention in the current situation.
"I did overhear them talk about it, but to think that. . . . . . "
"It was without a doubt spirit power."
Kang Shin-hyuk didn't know who "them" was referring to, but decided to continue the explanation.
"Spirit power is similar to magical power, but they're applied differently. I was told that spirit power is the power of your soul, but I don't know the details because I only recently learned to use it myself. But thanks to you, I learned that different people have different ways of sensing it."
"Different ways of sensing it. . . . . . Oh, so you don't smell its scent?"
"Right."
As expected of someone who has been already sensing its existence, she understood his explanation without much difficulty. When Kang Shin-hyuk rapidly nodded his head to her words, Claire formed a disconcerted look while scratching her cheek. It was a look mixed with joy and unrest.
"What a shock. . . . . . I was just expecting to receive a few clues from you, but to think that I hit the jackpot. It's so surreal to find the answer out of nowhere like this. Also surprising that you told me without a second thought."
"I survived and became stronger thanks to your spirit power-fueled potion. I thought it'd be meaningless to hide it from you. After all, am I not the one in the position of having to ask a favor of creating more potions?"
"I like the honesty. Oh, and I don't want the chicken legs, so you can finish them all."
"Wow, you're an angel. . . . . ."
Claire's 'Kindness level' was upgraded one level further in Kang Shin-hyuk's mind.
A person who shared chicken legs with others was either an angel who never betrayed someone else or a devil with a hundred rattlesnakes in its stomach. (3)
"So it was spirit power. . . . . . Shin-hyuk, what would I have to do to freely use it?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I saw your spirit power flowing out of you when you were shaking the shaker. I think that might have been the trigger."
"Really!?"
"Yup."
When Kang Shin-hyuk nodded with confidence, Claire's eyes were filled with joy.
Kang Shin-hyuk wasn't sure why she reacted with such excitement, but he was happy for being helpful. But then a second later, Claire dropped a bombshell.
"All right, I've decided. I'm gonna become a bartender."
" . . . . . . I'm sorry?"
"I've been thinking about it for some time, but with what you just told me, I've made my decision. Thanks, Shin-hyuk."
"Wait-wait a minute. Excuse me? A bartender? You're going to quit alchemy?"
Claire grabbed a chicken breast and stood up. Kang Shin-hyuk almost fell in love with the confidence she emitted.
"I knew that this was the correct path. After I train my spirit power through bartending and make a name for myself, I'm going to stuff these chicken bones into the mouths of those higher-up bastards that always complained about me wasting time on some stupid hobby instead of alchemy research. Then Eunah will also stop. . . . . . Wait."
"Hm?"
Claire narrowed her eyes. After muttering "what if" in her mouth, she looked down at Kang Shin-hyuk and asked quietly.
"Anvil?"
". . . . . . What?"
"Hero Universe."
" . . . . . . Huh? Huuhhhhh?"
"So you do know about these."
Kang Shin-hyuk naturally flinched at the unexpected words that were deeply ingrained in his heart. Looking at his reaction, Claire's eyes narrowed even further.
"You're a '17-year-old' who's awakened spirit power, who trains in blacksmithing and knows about Hero Universe. . . . . . Come to think of it, that sword."
The Godslayer sword was leaning against the sofa. She hadn't given much thought to it due to the circumstance, but looking at it now, she was certain.
"That's the sword that Janus commissioned us to look for. The Godslayer sword, crafted by Anvil."
"Oh, I didn't know Janus made such a commission. I mean, he told me to just keep it."
At this point, Kang Shin-hyuk couldn't help but realize; Claire was probably a member of the Hero Universe as well!
Kang Shin-hyuk was shocked to find another member in his homeworld, but he'd be lying if he wasn't also happy.
"I didn't know you're also a member. It's great to meet you. I've actually never met another member before. . . . . . What's wrong?"
"It was you! The one who was proclaiming to be the reincarnated Anvil was you! The fraud who tricked our innocent Eunah!"
Claire shouted while pointing at Kang Shin-hyuk with her chicken oiled finger.
'Wait, was I the only person who was happy to meet a fellow member? But why is she angry in the first place? Wait. . . . . . Eunah? Did she just say "Eunah"?'
"So the Thunder Empress Shin Eunah was that 'Eunah'!? That's crazy. . . . . . I mean, the person who sounds like a little child!?"
"Yes, you impostor! That silly girl, who actually believes you to be Anvil, is my friend!"
Kang Shin-hyuk couldn't believe it-despite the same name, he couldn't connect the dots because the images he had of the Thunder Empress and the 'Eunah' of his message log were too different!
How could he have thought that an acquaintance from the Universe Hero, the intersection of countless different worlds, was actually from his homeworld! Kang Shin-hyuk thought that he discovered the reason for the Administrator showing signs of knowing about Eunah.
"Wait-wait a minute, noona! I'm not an impostor; I really am the reincarnated Anvil. . . . . . "
"I never expected you to be from the same world! You impostor!"
"I'm telling you, I'm not! I've never pretended to be someone else!"
Claire's anger didn't show any sign of cooling down. Well, he thought, if his precious friend suddenly said something weird like "Grandpa is back alive!" He would be angry as well, but still!
"Just ask the Administrator! I'm not an impostor! I really am Anvil!"
Only
"If I could do that, I would've done it already! How would I be able to just converse with the Administrator!?"
Only after the Administrator sent a direct message to Claire due to Kang Shin-hyuk's earnest request, her misunderstanding was resolved.
That day, Kang Shin-hyuk had discovered that the Administrator doesn't promptly answer every member's questions.
Translator and Editor Notes:
1: Petit Bourgeois is a phrase that refers to the lower middle class, especially when referring to someone who is perceived as conventional and conservative.
(2) "Noona" is a word that a guy uses to refer to an older sister/older woman, and the latter usage (to an older, unrelated woman) signifies a close friendship.
(3) I think this is meant to say "a devil who only eats food of demonic attributes to refuse something as precious as chicken legs" or something like that.
The snakes could also refer to someone who is trying to get on your good side with nice stuff, but their goals are malicious.