The Preparations Begin (3)

After clearing away the dark, foul-smelling blood and pus clinging to the living room and ventilating the space, I began to shower with a calm mind. Looking at my skin, now radiant and hardly resembling a human’s, I clicked my tongue and steadied myself.

The reason for such thorough cleansing was to prepare for the real task ahead. Even if I accomplish just half of what I’ve planned, I won’t need to worry about those damn gods and their agents anymore.

One cannot get ahead in the ‘Battlefield of the Gods,’ teeming with monsters. Just starting alongside the monsters is enough. That alone is sufficient.

Because I am an agent with the potential and growth capability that even those monsters would call monstrous. Just starting together allows me to stand alone.

“When that time comes…”

When that time comes, I can realize the absurd dreams that my comrades, friends, and lovers from before the regression had envisioned, and more.

Of course, tearing apart that damn traitor is just a bonus.

After showering, I entered the room without wearing anything since I live alone and turned on the computer. The high-end computer operated quietly and swiftly.

The booting process completed in an instant, and I meticulously checked the connection of the wireless connector before heading to the bed. I picked up the large sunglasses and gloves hanging on the table next to the bed and put them on.

The sunglasses were the latest model gaming goggles. The goggles were connected to earphones and a microphone, and by connecting to the computer via a wireless connector, you could ‘comfortably play games while lying down within a certain distance!’ This was the product’s marketing strategy.

Comfortable, my foot.

Wearing black gloves that replaced the keyboard and mouse, I maintained the most comfortable position possible on the bed. The screen flickered briefly and focused, soon revealing the computer desktop.

I’ve lived in a world far more scientifically advanced than this for over 20 years. Thus, such inconvenient operations felt like a trial to me.

I launched the pre-installed game. It was a typical online MMORPG set in the medieval era.

Skipping the intro screen, I entered my account and logged in, only to find a lone, pot-bellied character on the character selection screen.

Selecting the character and logging in, the screen changed, and a cacophony of noise greeted me.

“Character.”

Speaking the command I memorized before starting the game into the microphone near my mouth, the pot-bellied character’s information appeared in a transparent, rectangular window.

At the top, the level and character name were displayed, and the pot-bellied character’s appearance was dimly sketched, with equipped items briefly shown in slots on either side.

Below, stats, attack power per second, and defense were detailed.

“Skills.”

One of the reasons I sorted out my assets after returning to Earth is precisely because of this.

Ludicer. Although referred to as a minor God of Amusement, strictly speaking, she was the God of Games. Therefore, this game is undoubtedly the most suitable place for me to grow my power. That’s why I recklessly raised the skill level of ‘fairy tale’ to 200.

And the first step was to purchase an expensive character to prepare ‘money,’ which universally exerts the greatest power in the dimension called ‘Earth.’

A character with all skills related solely to commerce maximized. Not to mention, in reality, buying and selling activities exist even in the ‘Battlefield of the Gods,’ and the merchant profession exists.

Whether it’s divine power or anything else, even a proxy will die if they don’t eat or drink. I used half of the inheritance left by my parents not on hospital bills, but on the cost of medications not covered by insurance, including Mina’s tests.

There are now about 90 days left. Moreover, I needed more money for Mina, who would be left behind after I entered the ‘Battlefield of the Gods.’

‘Dive!’

When I used the agent’s authority, my ears felt blocked as if diving into water, and my vision temporarily darkened before gradually brightening.

My consciousness sank quietly and calmly, then slowly surfaced.

Even though it was the same screen I was looking at just moments ago, it felt entirely different. I could feel the air, and the noise and smells of the market filled the surroundings.

Feeling all five senses vividly, it felt like logging into a high-level virtual reality game from a previous life.

“This is… the Dive… Ah! Character! Skills!”

“Lee Hyo-ju… your brain is really something else…”

The reason I chose Dive and Assimilation as my powers and recklessly leveled up Assimilation.

It was because of Hyo-ju’s advice—disguised as nagging—before the regression.

She lamented my stupidity with an almost certain tone back then. And she endlessly smacked my back, saying these two powers might indeed be Ludicer’s true powers.

And as you can see now, her prediction was correct.

I confirmed it through the notification message, and at this moment, checking the game character, I can only pay homage to her cunning and wickedness. By leveling up the Assimilation power skill, the current Assimilation Rate is 105%. This astounding figure is definitely the power I need to delve into and develop further.

‘Originally, I would have had to grind to level up the skill, but by trading the account with cash like this…’

I gazed at the character information with a blissful expression, as if admiring a masterpiece or a beautiful nude.

‘Assimilation. Target designation. Physical stats, skill stats. Gold Pig.’

Upon confirming the completion message, I simultaneously opened the bag and storage of the Gold Pig character. There was almost no in-game currency. And in any case, I didn’t need in-game currency. Instead, the items I had requested were packed in the bag and storage.

‘Open Inventory.’

Then, a transparent space that only I could see appeared in midair.

‘Assimilate. Target designation. Gold bars, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, topazes, attribute stones—fire, attribute stones—water, attribute stones—earth, attribute stones—wind…’

After transferring all the materials stored in the Gold Pig character’s storage and bag into the inventory through Assimilation three times, two hours and 50 minutes had passed. Once again, I contentedly checked the inventory and ended the Dive.

I felt my consciousness submerge and then rise again. Unlike just before, the sensations I felt were of my bedroom’s bed and the air in the room.

As if experiencing a sensory gap after playing a virtual reality game for the first time, I took a deep breath while lying on the bed.

“End.”

Only then did I realize I hadn’t taken off the goggles, so I ended the game, removed the goggles, and got up. Information I hadn’t known just moments ago came to mind automatically. About ten pieces of information simultaneously surfaced and then sank in my mind.

As the information sorted itself out in my head, I relished the intuitive sense of various skills wrapping around my body and disappearing.

Like organizing books on an empty bookshelf in my head, the information that had been springing up and asserting its presence settled down, and I called up the skill list.

“H-haha… Hahahahaha!!”

The moment I looked at the skill list, I laughed genuinely for the first time since returning, dancing with joy. And I was stark naked, not a thread on me. The outcome of the fairy tale far exceeded what Lee Hyo-ju had anticipated.

Closing the skill list I had been looking at with a pleased expression, almost drooling, I opened the inventory.

Inside the inventory were gold bars, diamonds, jewels, elemental stones, and unique metals like orichalcum and mithril.

I took out a mithril ingot from the inventory.

“Check.”

“What?”

This doesn’t make sense.

Even the dwarves, known as the artisan race, cannot produce mithril ingots of such high quality.

A rare mineral created by the breakthrough of the second limit, merging fantasy and game items. The fact that it appears in reality is incredible.

I stared blankly at the item, made even more terrifying by its settings, and called out to Ludicer in the void.

“Ludicer?”

―…

“Ludicer!”

*―*Yes, go ahead.

A calm tone. Yet, at times, this tone of hers gives me chills.

“Is there really no problem with this? 99.99% pure mithril? No, is something like this even possible?”

*―*Yes, it is.

“What about the other gods?”

*―…*In principle, we cannot monitor the agents of other gods.

“Principle, sure. But what if they find out?”

*―*It doesn’t matter. As long as Mr. Kim Han, whom you call ‘the Battlefield of Gods’ and the gods call ‘the Slave Game,’ doesn’t deviate from the contract, no objections can be raised. Moreover, unless one enters ‘the Battlefield of Gods,’ even gods cannot see beyond their own proxies once inside.

“Is that really so? Even those deceitful celestial and insane demon gods?”

*―…*The will of the Creator is absolute.

“Is that so? By the way, have you been watching?”

*―*All the games you call games are my domain. Moreover, Mr. Kim Han is my agent. Even if I didn’t want to know, I can’t help it.

“And yet, it’s okay, you say?”

*―*Yes, it is. Please always be cautious.

“Got it. Thanks.”

*―*One thing. I will repeat the words of the Creator. I believe repeating what He said does not violate any rules. Consider why the name Origin was given.

“What…?”

Even in my bewildered question, there was no response from Ludicer.

I pondered Ludicer’s last words, but despite the increased intelligence stat, no definitive answer came to mind.

I placed the mystically glowing mithril ingot into my inventory and reflected on the first Dive I had just completed. The 180 minutes were almost insufficient. Initially, I didn’t plan to level up my skills through diving. I considered it a fairy tale.

However, unlike this time, if I run out of time needed for Assimilation after a single Dive due to bad luck, that would be a significant problem.

Especially since the character I’m preparing next will require a lot of time. Fortunately, the title effect of ‘One Who Has Reached the Pinnacle’ and achievement rewards provide some leeway with skill points.

The issue was whether to invest points in skills that I would use for just over 100 days. I deliberated for a long time, but the conclusion was already decided.

I was just hesitant because I didn’t want to waste points, but the best weapon now is ‘True―Assimilation.’

“Use 120 skill points on Dive.”

“…Yes.”

“What the…?”

There was a character I had painstakingly raised over several months, cutting down on sleep.

Have you ever had the experience where, after spending a lot of money and finally reaching a high level, a guildmate asked why you allocated your stats that way and called your character a ‘failure’? I felt about 25,000 times that despair.

I had leveled up Assimilation to 200 and was boasting, only to realize I was short on skill points. I might have to use the points I saved for future skills.

Now that a Hidden condition has appeared, what if I raise Dive to 200? I don’t know what effect it will have, but judging from what has appeared now, it should be a considerable reward.

Moreover, the condition that appeared in the limit break of Dive is not a power to be discarded in the ‘Battlefield of the Gods.’

“Ah! Damn it…”

“I should have gotten more free skill points… I’ll use 40 free skill points on Dive.”

With a resigned nod, I focused on the changing power effect.

The results were really good. But all I could do was sigh. The regret over the lack of free skill points lingered in my mind.

“Oh! Right!! I should have used skill points up to level 60!!”

Even if it meant a bit of a loss, I should have used the abundant skill points and saved the free skill points. But regrets always come too late, and if you’re not smart, your body suffers.

“Damn it!! Argh!! So annoying!”

I kicked the air from the bed for a while, venting my frustration. After a bout of irritation, I felt a little better… not really!! The vanished free skill points flickered before my eyes.

“Sigh… Anyway, in the beginning, I’ll just train and explore. I should level up in the battlefield. But I can’t enter the battlefield without any combat skills. Status!”

The previous body stats and their updated values were displayed, then, the old stats gradually disappeared.

Certainly, you can’t underestimate someone just because they’re a merchant. Given the level, most of the stats, including strength, had increased.

Still far from enough… but this was just the beginning.

The true power of body stats starts to show once they surpass 100. As soon as you exceed 100, it requires ten times the effort to increase by just one point, from 100 to 101.

I called this ‘First Awakening.’

Similarly, surpassing 150 required fifty times the effort.

I haven’t experienced having stats in the 200s, so I can’t say for sure, but it’s obvious that even more effort is needed.

During the last battle, when the traitor and the monster girl teamed up, and I was gasping for breath while escaping, I noticed the monster girl’s intellect and mana stats were in the early 200s.

“Not enough.”

The night after the first dive, which could have been a moment of excitement.

I spent the night exuding murderous intent, filled with regret and resentment… naked.