New Power

Golden light burst forth as if it were about to explode.
Accompanying it was the characteristic red glow of <Synthesis>, shining brilliantly like it was trying to entrance me.

‘Oh shit…’

Just like the time I first obtained [Monstrous Strength and Spirit], I found myself entranced, and clicked on the <Info Window>.

Swish! The list updated with a sound.

‘Universal Mastery…?’

Of course, it was a skill I had never heard or seen before, just like [Monstrous Strength and Spirit].

Judging by the types of sub-skills involved…

‘Is it an ability related to weaponry?’

I pondered for a moment.

For the record, it wasn’t that I had no knowledge about synthesis involving weapon skills.

<Rank 1> had mentioned that if you gathered a variety of weapon skills, a certain synthesis would become available.

In fact, the reason I’d been so happy when I acquired [Bow] was because I felt I was one step closer to that very skill he had spoken about.

‘But I’m sure it wasn’t something with such a grand name like Universal Mastery…’

I speculated that this might be a case where it was synthesized in a slightly different way, similar to [Monstrous Strength and Spirit] and [Pride of the Warrior King].

After a brief moment of contemplation, I nodded.

Right. Let’s just synthesize it first.

It’s not like anything would be lost—no reason to hesitate.

“Oh…”

Oh-ho, oh-ho-ho…
Hmm…
Hmm-hmm…
Hmmm…
Interesting.

This was…
Something that seemed great, yet…
It was a rather simple ability.

Well, to be precise, it was quite a cheat.

‘To put it simply, it lets you handle weapons better and grow faster with them, right?’

But…
Honestly, compared to flashy skills that flip the world with a single strike, or shoot out massive fireballs from your hands…
It definitely lacked impact.

‘Is it because it’s Epic and not Legendary?’

I decided to give it a try and drew a dagger from my waist.
Then I activated the skill.

“…!”

It was different.
The moment I grabbed it, a subtle magic seeped into the dagger, making it feel as if it was an extension of my own limbs.

Oh dear, I’m not sure if it’s right to say this, but it felt as if a part of my nerves had burrowed into and connected with the dagger.

I took a proper stance.
I had never actually trained with a dagger before.
The only reference I had was seeing Meowi swing one around.

Swish!
Slash!

However, the dagger techniques unfolding in my hand were clearly much sharper and more precise than before.

Anyone seeing this would think I was a skilled practitioner who had handled a dagger for at least five years.

“…Nice.”

Forget what I said about it being underwhelming.
This skill, while not flashy like [Monstrous Strength and Spirit], was still clearly overpowered.

‘…The lack of cooldown is really significant.’

The mana consumption wasn’t that great either…
Which basically meant that as long as I activated it, I could fight way better than before.

“Absolutely excellent!”

I smiled with satisfaction and also examined the <Derived Skill>.

“Wow?!”

My eyes widened involuntarily.

This was blatantly overpowered.

‘Wow, damn. Insane…’

It meant I could use [Holy Strike], the skill imprinted on [Saint’s Sword], twice in a row.
My instincts immediately screamed at me.

This was big.
Really big.

Right now, I only had a few weapons in my arsenal…

‘If I could just add one more weapon with a powerful [Intrinsic Skill]…’

The number of strategies I could deploy would increase.

It wasn’t particularly intentional, but…

‘This would go really well with [Slasla], wouldn’t it?’

It felt as if someone was reading my thoughts, and everything aligned perfectly.

Ding!

At that moment, [Slasla] emitted a purple light.
It signified that evolution was complete.

I walked over to the desk to examine the evolved [Slasla].

It was wriggling slightly as if it was very satisfied, moving happily.
It was still a plain glove, but…

‘A pattern appeared?’

This pattern.
I had seen it before.
It was identical to the one engraved on the gloves worn by Julius, the legendary <Summoner> and Archmage shown in the illustrations.

“Alright!”

I clenched both fists tightly with the evolved [Slasla] on.

‘[Slime’s Arsenal]!’

Though the description didn’t indicate much change, I could tell.
It had evolved just as I had hoped.
I infused it with magic as a test.

Crackle!

A slight static-like magic surged.

I turned my gaze.

Before I knew it, a total of four weapons, including the [Saint’s Sword], were floating around me in mid-air.

They were all my equipment, including the [Dagger] I used a little while ago.

“Oh…!”

After several attempts, I fully grasped the effect.

Now, I could summon multiple pieces of equipment at once, and the number of items I could store increased to a total of 30.

The switching ability remained the same, but there was no longer a need to inconveniently swap them one by one.

‘Critically, the cooldown time has drastically shortened.’

The time it took to summon and switch a weapon was a total of 10 seconds.

It became incredibly short compared to the previous 10 minutes.

Additionally…

‘I can store consumables too!’

I marveled as I took out a potion I had tested putting in.

It had evolved into an ability very close to the [Inventory] often seen in games.

Very, very…

“Great!”

I was satisfied.

With this, I’d laid the most important foundation for the weapon-based combat style I had envisioned.

Of course, that didn’t mean I planned to rely solely on weapons.

I was firmly growing into what could be called a proper A-grade.

This was one of the paths toward reaching a basic stat range in the 80s.

Once I would get there, I could decide how to proceed from that point.

I caught my breath and leaned back in my chair.

In truth, even if I evolved [Slasla] like this, it was meaningless without good equipment.

This aspect was consistent with [Universal Mastery].

‘Currently, the only weapon I have is the [Saint’s Sword].’

Even toy-like weapons like [Turtle’s Longsword] were not easy to acquire.

This world had a significantly lower power balance compared to the ‘GAL’ I knew.

‘Everything is averaged down…’

Just a single Hero-grade weapon here costs billions.
Even though I’d recently made a good amount of money from clearing the <Undiscovered Dungeon> and <Trial>, collecting a bunch of precious weapons like the [Saint’s Sword] was no easy task.

Maybe two, at best?
And even then, they’d probably be mediocre in performance.

‘…Just in case, I tried calling Hyeja noona…’

When I asked if it was possible to get about three more Hero-grade weapons, she was utterly dismissive.

―Oh, come on! That’s too greedy! Even the [Saint’s Sword] hanging on your waist is already a coveted ultimate weapon, little brother.

She wasn’t wrong.
The [Saint’s Sword] had always been, and would continue to be, my reliable companion.
Especially since its true potential is only revealed when the blade is broken.
But still, I needed more, so I had to keep looking…

‘It’s tough, as expected.’

Im Hyeja was undoubtedly an amazing blacksmith with skills close to a master even by ‘GAL’ standards.

Even she said that mass-producing Hero-grade weapons was impossible.
Once again, I was reminded of how much [gacha] mechanics had ruined game balance.

‘It’s alright.’

I only called her on the off chance, anyway.

Of course!
I wouldn’t evolve [Slasla] thoughtlessly.

Once, when Meowi first discovered <Trial> and was roaring ‘Meow!’, it was mentioned.

She told me there were over dozens of <Trials> that she knew of.
This break, I planned to visit one of them.
One specifically tailored for <Weapon Skills>.
A place filled with martial arts masters I aim to meet.

“Alright.”

I stood up from my seat and stretched my body.

As I clenched my fists, a surging energy burst forth.

My current strength had surpassed the so-called [50], known as the demonic threshold.

‘…Unmistakably a mature B-grade.’

Combining this with various skills, it would effectively be A-grade.

I pondered for a moment.

Strength is truly like a drug.
The stronger you become, the more you want to become even stronger.

I wanted to spread this power to the world and flaunt my strength right away.

I felt the urge to use all the skills I gained this time to crush the boss’s head and earn better rewards.

‘Is this what addiction feels like?’

I closed my eyes.

I realized I was blinded by the numerous rewards I received.

Think, Yu Seha.

Why am I trying to become stronger?

‘……’

I rummaged through my pocket and looked at the photo saved on my phone.

There was a picture with Ju Na-young, Moon Bora, and Meowi included.

In the corner, Peng Jin-ah was also making a small ‘v’.

Every one of them looked like they were going “Meow,” “Yong-aaa,” “Waaaa,” and “Hmhm!”

‘I must not forget.’

My goal hadn’t changed.
To help them reach the ending they wanted, with everything I had.
That was my duty as a Supervisor.
I must not let that be reversed.

People often say heroes are forged by overcoming hardship and danger.
But I had no intention of becoming a hero.

The path of a hero inevitably requires sacrifice.
Until now, I had accepted that sacrifice without question.

‘…Even ordering the <Templar> class senior to block…’

It was likely because I saw that as a natural price to pay.

Of course, I could make excuses.
I was born on a battlefield, and the first thing I ever learned was sacrifice.

Even when my father didn’t like it, he never said anything.

‘That must have been the only way…’

It was a lawless zone with zero safety.
No legal identity, no protection—anyone could die at any time.

That’s why my father and brothers accepted death as a given.
They also accepted my tactics without hesitation.
But this world was different.
Here, sacrifice was only a last resort.

I had forgotten that.

“Sigh.”

Did I aim too high?

A sudden wave of fatigue swept over me.

The farther a goal is, the harder it feels to reach.

‘I need to find the closest thing first.’

Alright.

The greatest joy, happiness, and reason for my life…

‘I need to go squish Meowi’s cheeks.’

That thought made me smile, and I figured I’d also ask everyone what they planned to do during the break.

Meowi~

“Huh?”

My phone rang.

It was a call from Divine Light Garam.

She was still hospitalized due to the drugs and the injury to the back of her head.

“Yes, Senior. I received your call.”

―Seha, I’m sorry to disturb you while you’re resting.

“It’s okay. Is there something going on?”

Divine Light Garam hesitated for a moment.

―…I’m sorry, but could we meet in two days?

There are two people who wish to meet you.

In the outskirts of Gangnam-gu district, Seoul, a massive temple.
This was the location of the 10th headquarters of the <Order>.

In the dead of night.
Two women in white uniforms were standing guard solemnly.
Both individuals were B-grade hunters who grew up under the teachings of the <Order>.

They were a kind of veteran with numerous combat experiences.

A subtle halo of light proved this fact.

Behind them, a massive iron door was blocking the way.
It had the demeanor of guarding something precious.
A barrier that seemed to allow no one to approach.

However, this…
Was instantly shattered by the approaching footsteps.

“…Who are you?”
“State your identity and affiliation.”

They responded by the book.
It was the right protocol, but also…
A moment of vulnerability.

They assumed the approaching figure was one of the high-ranking <Bishops>.

You couldn’t blame them.
This place was the most restricted zone within the headquarters.
No one would expect an intruder to casually stroll in like it was their living room—even veterans like them.

And that false assumption…
Decided the match before it even began.

“It’s okay. I’m not an enemy. I’m harmless, see?”
“……”
“……”

A young, clear voice came from beneath the lowered hood.

The two guards stared blankly at the air for a moment.

Nodding their heads, they said, “That’s right,” “Not harmful,” and put away their weapons.

“Would you guide me? Oh, and please take care of any potential traps or security procedures.”
“…Understood.”
“…Inside.”

Without any suspicion, they opened the door for him.

One step, two steps.

Before long, the boy had taken off the cumbersome hood.

An ordinary impression that was neither handsome nor ugly appeared.

He was Kim Minsu, a senior clan member of <Tartarus>.

“……”

Kim Minsu stepped inside and looked at the corpse before him.

A piece of flesh emitting such intense magical energy that it made him frown involuntarily.

It was full of cuts and burn marks everywhere.

The identity of the corpse was…

The body of the <Chimera Griffon> that had fused with Jing Daram.