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Chapter 364. How That Man Became Powerful (2)
“Hurry, hurry up. Tell me at once,” said the Frost Queen. She was sitting comfortably on the couch as she drummed on the table with her hands. She wanted to see what Seo Jun-Ho had bought from the Administrator’s Store.
“Okay, just give me a second.” He started taking out items from his Inventory one by one. “The Millenium Fleeceflower, Ril Trache’s Tears, Innards of a Rainbow Eel, Purifying Oil, Ginseng Doll…”
This time, he bought a total of 24 items. Similar to the ‘Amitabha Holy Water’ and the ‘Heart of the Darkness Dog,’ most of them were single-use.
“That’s why I was able to get them for cheap.” Of course, they didn’t cost him much. The pure scents of the potions, fruits, and herbs filled the room.
“Mm… My head already feels clear just from the scent,” the Frost Queen commented.
“Right? And that’s not all…” He took out the main course, along with the Soul Collector Skill Book. “Apparently, this peach makes it so that my body will always be in peak condition.”
“That is something you have been searching for a long time. And what of this book?”
“That’s…” He had no idea. He had bought it impulsively simply because Keen Intuition urged him to buy it.
“I actually have no idea. I bought it because Intuition told me to,” he confessed.
“...” The Frost Queen’s eyes grew cold. “Tell me how much it was.”
“5.8 million points.”
“How expensive.” She let out a small sigh.
Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho took out another item. “Oh, right, I also bought—”
“What is it this time?!” The Frost Queen turned to look at his hand with an annoyed expression. However, Seo Jun-Ho was holding a cake that looked very sweet and appetizing.
“This was a slice of cake from some empire’s banquet, I think. It was 30,000 points.”
“...Mm.” The Frost Queen’s eyes started sparkling, but she quickly composed herself and cleared her throat before saying, “Ahem. So you were quite frugal with your money.”
“Do you want to eat cake first?”
“And some black tea...”
After their incredible tea time, they headed to the training room.
***
“The president asked me to deliver this.”
“Thank you. Please let him know that I received it.”
“Yes, sir! It would be an honor!”
After receiving the package in his training room, Seo Jun-Ho immediately ripped off the wrapping. Inside, there was a single magic scroll.
“That little rascal. He kept whining about how he wouldn’t be able to get it, but look how easy it was for him.”
This was the highest quality item data scroll, one of the few remaining on Earth. There was only one reason he had asked Shim Deok-Gu to get this for him.
‘I should check it now.’
He had never taken out Erebo’s core from his Inventory because he was afraid that he would unknowingly absorb it and fall asleep for a few more decades.
“Alright, here we go.” The core fell out of the Inventory and onto the blanket he had prepared.
“Hooo.” Based on his previous two experiences of absorbing a core, he assumed that there were two types of cores. ‘Either it has a long absorption period with great effect, or it has a short absorption time, but the effect won’t be that good.’
It had taken him twenty-five whole years to absorb the Frost Queen’s core. Meanwhile, it only took him three days two absorb Janabi’s core.
‘And the two skills I got matched the time it took.’
Cell Regeneration (A) wasn’t a bad Skill, but one couldn’t even begin to compare it to Frost (EX).
Seo Jun-Ho looked at the scroll nervously.
“Do not expect much,” the Frost Queen said, already pessimistic. “The more you expect, the greater your disappointment. If you do not expect much, then you will not be disappointed.”
“What’s with that negative attitude?”
He looked at the foggy light emanating from the core and squeezed his eyes shut as he ripped the scroll. “Please, please be S-grade!”
“Tsk, tsk. Do you really think that S-grade skills are easy to come by? Back in my day—”
Light suddenly burst from the scroll and covered the core.
[Erebo’s Core]
Grade: Legendary
Description: The core left by Erebo, the devourer of the World Tree.
Effect: Forced sleep for two months when taken. Acquisition of Cloning (S).
“H-how?!” The Frost Queen exclaimed, astonished. She lowered his expectations because her Contractor was anticipating something too good to be true, but he had actually been right.
“I told you! I told you!”
“Impossible…” She stared at Seo Jun-Ho in a daze as the latter laughed like an idiot.
S-grade skills were rare. In fact, less than one percent of Players had an S-grade skill.
“How do you have such luck?” The Frost Queen muttered. With this, her Contractor now had as many as seven skills S-grade or above. Moreover, two of them were EX-grade. It was hard to believe.
“Still, it’s annoying that I’ll have to be asleep for two months.”
“Indeed.”
Who knew what the Fiend Association executives could achieve in two months? Two months was too long.
“Hm.” Just as Seo Jun-Ho started pondering, Keen Intuition muttered to him in a strange voice.
- Partner.
“Yeah?”
- Pspspsps.
“Huh? What did you say?” Seo Jun-Ho listened to him speak without interrupting. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head and took out the ‘main course’ from his Inventory. His eyes went wide afterward.
“Wait, you’re right.”
***
“Phew, I’m done.” After taking out the trash—the ramen—and doing the dishes—the pot and the magic burner—Reiji wiped the sweat off of her brows with the back of her hand. She was a lazy person by nature, but she was diligent when it came to her assigned duties.
“I can finally sleep.” The opening date of the Administrator’s Store hadn’t even been revealed to the Players just yet. As such, she had more than enough time to take a long nap.
‘I had to do so much work because of the shit that bastard pulled.’
She was planning to rest for about three months before preparing for the Store’s real opening and posting an announcement about it.
Click.
Reiji turned off the lights of the Store. She was about to head to her dwelling, but then—
[You have received a request for an exchange.]
[You have received a request for a refund.]
[You have received a request for a return.]
“What is wrong with that son of a bitch?!” Reiji’s eyes sharply gleamed, and she looked like she wanted to kill someone. ‘I’ve been playing nice because he’s a kid, but does he actually think he’s better than me?’
There was a clear reason behind her rage: only one bastard would send these requests.
“No. I can’t hold back any longer.”
She had enough. Reiji cracked her knuckles and stretched her hands, emanating bloodlust. A human fell from beside her. Of course, it was Seo Jun-Ho.
“Oh, Reiji-nim!” He was smiling brightly.
At that, Reiji squeezed her hands into fists. “Grit your incisors, canines, premolars, and molars if you don’t want them to break.”
“W-wait, time out! Please don’t hit me!” Seo Jun-Ho pleaded. He fell to the ground and grabbed her ankle.
Reiji could only look at the ceiling and sigh. “Hooo. Let go of me while I’m asking nicely. Just because you’re doing this doesn’t mean I’m not going to hit you.”
“P-please hear me out first.”
“I’ll hear you out after I hit you a few times. I told you that I’d kill you if you asked for an exchange, refund, or return, did I not?!”
“No! I don’t need any of those!”
Reiji’s fist stopped in midair before it could break Seo Jun-Ho’s skull. “What? Then, what were those requests you sent me?”
“Well…” Seo Jun-Ho started sweating as he looked up at her. Reiji looked like a rakshasa.[1]
It all started with the conversation he had with Keen Intuition a few minutes ago.
- Can you simply not absorb this so-called core at the Administrator’s Store?
“I wish I could, but how am I supposed to get there? I don’t have an entry ticket anymore.”
- Unlike last time, Reiji threatened to kill you if you requested an exchange, refund, or return.
“Oh…” He was right. She didn’t give him that warning last time.
- My instinct is screaming at me that this is exactly because of ‘that’ item you bought.
“The main course?”
Seo Jun-Ho checked the item in his Inventory, and his eyes went wide. It had cost thirteen million PP, and perhaps that was why he could directly send an ‘exchange, refund, or return’ request to the Administrator.
“So…” Reiji held her forehead when Seo Jun-Ho was done explaining his side. “You wish to eat that core here because time flows differently here?”
“Yes.”
“No,” Reiji didn’t even blink as she said, “I’m tired. The only thing keeping me awake is my desire to beat you.”
“I-I’ll lend you my sleeping bag.” Seo Jun-Ho chuckled sheepishly as he stealthily unfurled the sleeping bag. “If you allow me to absorb the core here, I’ll help you clean up the Store once I’m done.”
“...Clean up the Store?” Reiji crossed her arms and considered it. Certainly, cleaning up the Store by putting all items according to the appropriate categories and labels was an extremely annoying chore. ‘And even though it’ll be a little inconvenient, I can still sleep.’[2]
She didn’t like that she wouldn’t be able to sleep in her own fluffy bed, but the sleeping bag Seo Jun-Ho bought here should be pretty good as well, considering that it cost 100,000 PP.
‘And it’ll be nice for him to owe me a favor...’
After doing her own calculations, Reiji nodded slowly. “I’m going to sleep behind the counter then. Do whatever you want.”
“Thank you!”
“I’m going to sleep for about three months. Once you wake up, make sure to clean up each section.”
“Just leave it to me.”
Absorbing the core would take Seo Jun-Ho two months. And even though he had to clean up the storefront, less than a minute would have passed in Earth’s time once he was done with everything.
In delight, he retrieved Erebo’s core from his Inventory. “Good night, then.”
“...Sure.”
Once he noticed Reiji’s breathing slowing down from within the sleeping bag, Seo Jun-Ho curled his fingers around the core.
***
[Absorption rate 99.9999%...]
[Absorption rate 100%.]
[Congratulations. You have completely absorbed Erebo’s core.]
[You have obtained the new skill ‘Cloning (S)’.]
Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes. As he slowly registered his surroundings, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
‘Where am—Oh, right, I was at the Administrator’s Store.’
As he gradually began to wake, he could feel the new Skill settle within him.
[Cloning]
Grade: S
Effect: Consume magic energy to create clones. Clones can only possess up to 70% of your stats.
‘Up to 70%.’
Without further ado, Seo Jun-Ho activated the Cloning. The sensation was strange as if something had slipped out of his body.
“...”
A new ‘Seo Jun-Ho’ was created before him.
It was a very peculiar feeling. ‘But for some reason, it’s not a bad feeling.’
It was said that most people would feel a deep sense of hatred whenever they saw someone who looked like them. The urban legend of doppelgangers was even derived from the fact.
However, it was different with a clone.
‘It just feels really cool.’
Seo Jun-Ho felt a deep sense of faith that his clone wouldn’t betray him no matter what. This was probably the greatest advantage of Cloning.
“What should I call you?” asked Seo Jun-Ho.
“Dunno. Call me whatever you want. You’re the original anyway.”
Seo Jun-Ho grinned. His clone spoke exactly in the same manner as him. He wondered if this was what it felt like to have a brother. “I’m going to a fortune teller soon. I’ll ask them.”
“Yes, yes, whatever you wish.”
However, it seemed there was a fundamental difference in their personalities. Seo Jun-Ho was assertive, while his clone was a bit more submissive.
It was also a little rude.
“You’re funny. Rude? We’re the same person,” said the clone.
“You can read my thoughts?”
“I’m not reading your thoughts. I’m you. That’s all.” He looked at Seo Jun-Ho condescendingly. “If I had to explain, I’d say that I’m a little freer. I’m you, but without a facade.”
“Weird. I’m pretty sure everyone knows me as a sincere and authentic man.”
“There’s your facade again.” The clone smirked.
After that, he started doing push-ups. After doing around three hundred reps, he fell to the floor in exhaustion. “Ugh, I’m tired. I think your skill can do about fifty minutes of work.”
“I see. Is it because of my skill proficiency?” His clones could use up to 70% of his stats, but they couldn’t use that much from the very beginning. Seo Jun-Ho had to train them diligently and raise their limits. “Next time, I’ll use a bit more magic to make you.”
“Sure. And can you make more clones?”
It was a very good question.
“Ooh, I’ll test that right now.” Seo Jun-Ho activated the skill once again, but the original clone disappeared, and another one was created.
“Looks like you can only make one,” said the new clone.
“Yeah. That’s unfortunate.”
They both had an identical look of disappointment on their faces. Shortly afterward, Seo Jun-Ho stood up.
“Alright then, let’s clean up before Reiji-nim wakes up.”
“You’re actually going to do that?”
“That was what I promised.”
“That wuh wuht I pwomised,” mocked the clone. Still, he followed behind Seo Jun-Ho without any other complaints.
This place was technically a store, but it looked more like a distribution center. Seo Jun-Ho clasped his hands behind his back once they arrived at where they should start cleaning.
“Alright. Start cleaning,” he ordered.
“...?”
“Why are you looking at me like an idiot?”
“We’re the same person… Wait, you aren’t gonna work?”
“I’m going to be the manager.”
“You…” The clone grumbled, but he started cleaning up without saying anything else. As time passed, Seo Jun-Ho saw that the clone’s movements were becoming more and more fluid.
‘Once he’s done cleaning the store… I think he’ll be able to use about 20% of my power by then,’ Seo Jun-Ho thought to himself. He leisurely took a sip of coffee as he sat and observed his clone.
1. A Hindu demon.
2. Despite the previous rule, I believe she’s allowed to rest now because she’s assisting Jun-Ho by allowing him to sleep.