Chapter 69
On the screen Un Hyang was watching, the dragon’s words made her frown while munching on a snack.
“Is that crazy creature serious? Do you know how much that’s worth?”
The item in question was the Thunder Imprint, a highly rare and valuable material item worth a fortune. Obtaining it was akin to earning the points that even major streamers would need to work for months to accumulate.
Yet,
The dragon was urging Suhyuk to swallow it.
“Ugh, if that wretched worm were in front of me, I’d just…!”
Un Hyang clenched her fist and swung it through the air in frustration. She genuinely felt like socking the dragon if it were right before her eyes.
Buzz—
Just then, her kit buzzed again. In the middle of an important scene, Un Hyang’s expression quickly darkened. If it were John Dale, she would have ignored it and carried on.
But the caller was someone different this time.
“… Hello, Cheon Ryang.”
She answered with a slightly trembling voice. On the other end, Cheon Ryang’s voice was its usual calm self.
-Yeah. I think I’ll be arriving soon.
“Really? Already? Ah, it’s closer from there, I guess.”
-Of course. It’s nearer than the third floor.
Although Cheon Ryang replied casually, Un Hyang hesitated, which was unusual for her. It was Cheon Ryang, after all. A childhood friend, practically a sibling since they were kids.
Talking to Cheon Ryang felt different, awkward for a reason she couldn’t quite grasp. And that reason was probably—
“…Hey.”
-Hmm?
“I’m sorry. Truly.”
Guilt. She felt guilty about asking him, knowing he wouldn’t be able to refuse. Saying she’d call off the bet was just an excuse. That meant nothing compared to this task.
Still.
-Just keep your promise. Don’t ask for any more favors later, okay?
Cheon Ryang joked, fully aware of the situation.
-I called just to say that. Don’t back out later. You know I’m broke, right?
Un Hyang nodded, though he couldn’t see her. She wondered why he had to call just to say something he didn’t need to mention.
He was subtly telling her, ‘I’m doing this because I’m truly okay with it, so don’t feel guilty.’
‘It’s not your fault.’
-Okay, I’m hanging up now. Keep monitoring Lee Suhyuk’s stream.
Click.
He dropped the call without waiting for her response, probably in a hurry. As the phone clicked off, the screen and sound switched back to the stream. Suhyuk, swallowing the Thunder Imprint, didn’t even register with her distracted state.
*
Walls as high as fortresses and structures reaching the sky. Returning to his hometown, Murim, Cheon Ryang paused to take a deep breath.
“Why did I come back here….”
He knew the reason, despite his words. A few spoken words. That’s why he had come back. His steps felt heavy. It wasn’t as if he had walked the whole way; he had ridden in a carriage.
‘I talked big, but…’
He suddenly regretted his bold declaration.
‘Maybe I should’ve just said I couldn’t do it.’
But having committed to it, there was no turning back. He just needed a bit more time to gather his resolve.
“Hah—”
Step—
Despite his efforts, his legs refused to move, so Cheon Ryang sought an excuse.
“I suppose I won’t be late if I have just one plate of dumplings, right?”
Truly. He didn’t want to do it.
*
Gulp—
The Thunder Imprint went down his throat.
『’You have consumed the Thunder Imprint.』
『The Trial of Thunder begins within your body.』
Boom—!
The sound of thunder echoed, but only Suhyuk could hear it. Instinctively, he knew. This thunder was for him alone.
“Ugh….”
Thud—
The strength left his body, and he fell to his knees. The moment he swallowed the Thunder Imprint, thunder surged through his throat, stomach, and spread throughout his entire body.
In the blink of an eye, he felt the crackling sensation of electricity spreading through him.
Sizzle—!
Electricity burst from his body, escaping through his skin. The pain was intense. His body burned, and he trembled from the shock. The painful reality was that he had relied too heavily on Selfish Sacrifice.
‘This doesn’t apply to Selfish Sacrifice.’
The effects of Selfish Sacrifice increased resistance to self-sacrificial skills. In other words, it only resisted skills that consumed stamina to increase power, like the magic sword or lightning, but it didn’t block all damage.
Despite pouring points into leveling up Selfish Sacrifice, it offered no help in this situation. There was one thing resisting the pain.
『’Heart of the Lightning’ resists the Thunder Imprint.』
『Resisted Status Effect: Electrocution.』
The Heart of the Lightning.
But.
‘This is…’
Sizzle—!
Suhyuk’s body recognized the thunder’s power rampaging through him as an intruder.
‘This is no joke.’
The Thunder Imprint was a concentrated item designed to prevent intruders from entering the Thunder Cave. Countless players had tried to break through the Thunder Gate to enter the cave, but none had succeeded.
This meant an immense force resided here. The only saving grace was that the Heart of the Lightning prevented electrocution. Had he been electrocuted, his body would have been paralyzed, and he would have lost consciousness, unable to resist this power.
‘Stay focused.’
As long as he could maintain his focus, he could figure out the next step.
‘They said it contains the power of lightning.’
Feeling the force rampaging inside him, Suhyuk widened his eyes.
‘Let’s see who wins.’
Sss, sssss—!
The Thunder Imprint melted and spread throughout his body.
The pain intensified, but so did the benefits.
『’The Thunder Imprint’ is being absorbed into your body.』
『Magic increased by 1.』
『Fatigue increased.』
『Fatigue has reached 67.』
With each stat increase, the fatigue intensified.
As the damage accumulated, the pain didn’t merely become familiar; it worsened.
However,
‘As long as I endure this, it won’t be in vain.’
Sizzle—!
Boom—!
The deeper the pain and the louder the thunder in his ears, the more Suhyuk smiled.
It might seem masochistic, but mental fortitude was one of his greatest strengths. Enduring was one of the things he did best.
『Magic increased by 1.』
『Fatigue has reached 73.』
How many increases had it been already?
‘Four? No, five?’
His focus on enduring the pain made it hard to keep track. He would need to check his stat screen later for the details.
But of course,
‘That’s assuming I survive this.’
Suhyuk glanced at the golden-scaled dragon hovering above him. It seemed to be watching him with a detached curiosity, like observing a bear in a zoo.
‘I will endure. No matter what.’
Gritting his teeth. Failing this trial would mean wasting the precious Thunder Imprint.
Moreover, he would have to accumulate accomplishments again and achieve A-rank mercenary status to retry the Thunder Cave, a cumbersome process.
‘That’s out of the question.’
Wasting both points and time was unacceptable. Thinking of going through that ordeal again gave him a renewed sense of determination.
But.
Szz, szzzz—!
『Magic increased by 1.』
『Fatigue has reached 81.』
No matter how strong his mental fortitude, there were physical limits. Thanks to the Heart of the Lightning, he could barely endure.
But Suhyuk’s body was reaching its breaking point. Realizing this, he decided to change his approach.
‘I need another method.’
Rising stats were good. But this wasn’t the same as breaking through meridians or unblocking energy channels; it was merely an infusion.
Like forcing air into a balloon, if his body couldn’t withstand it, it would burst. So, merely enjoying the stat boosts wouldn’t suffice.
Dying here would scatter these stats into nothingness.
‘I need another way…’
He racked his brain. Simply persevering through sheer mental will was not enough. There were two viable options. Although it was a pity, he might have to release the energy outside somehow.
Otherwise…
‘Maybe I was wrong to think I had to endure this physically.’
No matter how daunting the Thunder Cave was, expecting someone to merely endure it physically would be unreasonable. Though the challenges in the tower varied in difficulty, they were never completely impossible.
This meant that…
‘It’s not about enduring physically—’
Sizzle, sizzle—
With lightning crackling around him, Suhyuk clashed the Thunder Imprint’s energy with the lightning within him.
Boom, rumble—!
The two energies collided, and suddenly, the raging thunderous energy began to concentrate in one direction within his body.
The previously wild energy finally found a path. At the end of this path was a concentrated mass of lightning located near the top of Suhyuk’s abdomen.
‘I should have directed it here from the start.’
He had gained quite a few stats, but it had also inflicted considerable damage on his body. Using lightning, Suhyuk guided the energy slowly toward one side.
The immense movement of energy intensified his focus, making time feel slower.
‘If it strays off course, it’s over. I can’t endure with this level of fatigue.’
Releasing the energy outside was an option, but he didn’t want to make a cowardly choice. More importantly, missing out on this opportunity wasn’t an option.
‘Forerunners in the ranking. 20 years. Blue Zone, Kim Ilsoo…’
It wasn’t enough to merely follow. To climb higher and faster, he couldn’t always choose the safe and comfortable path.
‘Come here.’
Sizzle—
He directed his will towards the rampaging energy.
‘This way…’
Continuing to direct it. But it didn’t go as smoothly as he hoped. Focus heightened to its peak. Though he had found the method, he hadn’t yet reached the solution.
He was close, but not quite there. To close that gap, a more drastic measure was necessary.
For instance—
‘This seems insane…’
But this whole trial had been insane from the start.
Swish—
From his inventory. Suhyuk retrieved the small, gleaming yellow gem and grasped it in his hand.
‘A heart, they called it.’
There had been something nagging at him.
【 Heart of the Lightning 】
Grade: Unique (Growth)
Requirements: –
Non-transferable (Bound)
Unique grade.
No usage restrictions. A bound, non-transferable item. The part that puzzled Suhyuk was the “usage restrictions” listed.
‘It’s not just something to possess; it’s an item meant to be worn.’
With his mouth dry as a bone, Suhyuk slowly brought the Heart of the Lightning to his mouth.
‘If not, well, it’ll come out one way or another.’
Gulp—
As the yellow gem slid down his throat.
『’You have equipped the Heart of the Lightning.』
The awaited message appeared.
TL’s Corner:
Equip by eating.