Chapter 42
Jun-hyuk immediately verified whether the "Area Shield" matched his expectations.
Universal Skill: [Active] Area Shield [Lv.1]
Grants [50,000] shield to self and party members
50% shock absorption
Option values increase with awakening stage
Usable via skill deck as a universal skill
Cast Time: [10 sec]
Cooldown: [30 min]
Force Consumption: [1300]
The skill provided a total shield value of 50,000 to himself and all party members—effectively equivalent to gaining 50,000 HP. The "shock absorption" referred not to damage mitigation but literal impact dispersion.
“Oh! Area Shield. Nice! Though I’ll be the only user for a while.”
As he intended to focus on pure tanking until his second awakening, this would mainly serve during solo play.
“Let’s see how much has changed. Open status window!”
His updated stats flashed immediately upon opening the interface:
User: Choi Jun-hyuk [1st Awakening]
Age: 22
Occupation: Copy Master
System: Second Original
[Status]
Strength: 100+[200]
Stamina: 100+[200]
Agility: 120+[200]
Durability: 100+[200]
Technique: 100+[200]
Bonus Points: 4
Attack Power: 900+[2000]
Defense Power: 900+[2300]
HP: 22,300+[30,000] [1 HP/sec regen]
Force: 5,000+[9,000] [27,200] [1 Force/sec regen]
[Core Lv.73] - EXP [22%]
Force Recharge Points +27,200
46% reduced Force consumption when using skills
56% increased skill efficiency
Access to grade-based information
Level-up via crystal absorption
The stat boosts were staggering. While the 1,000 and 1,300 increases in attack and defense were impressive, the additional 20,000 HP stood out.
“Ha! With this HP pool, I’m practically at second awakening tier.”
His total HP now exceeded 52,000—comparable to mid-tier second awakeners.
“Maybe I should switch to E-rank hunting now.”
The ring’s enhancements made E-rank zones more viable than F-rank despite his earlier efficiency calculations.
“I’ll test it tomorrow night.”
He planned a midnight solo hunt to install a teleportation circle in the E-rank zone and trial his new capabilities.
As Jun-hyuk finalized his plans—
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
“Who’s here at this hour?”
He opened the door to find two muscular foreigners and a young Korean woman.
“Hello. We’re from the Phoenix Guild. You’re Mr. Choi Jun-hyuk, correct?”
Jun-hyuk tilted his head. “Phoenix Guild?”
“America’s Phoenix Guild—one of its top five. Surely you’ve heard of us?”
Recognition dawned on him. “Of course! But why approach me...?”
“Could we have a moment of your time?”
Suspecting a recruitment pitch, he agreed. “Give me a minute to change.”
At a nearby café, Jun-hyuk faced the guild’s scouts.
“I’m Choi Jeong-a, a Phoenix Guild recruiter. These are James and Ben.” She slid a business card across the table.
“May I ask why you sought me out?”
“We want you to join Phoenix Guild.”
“But I’m only a first awakener...”
“We reviewed your test footage—flawless tanking. But visiting Korea revealed something else: you’re an Irregular.”
They likely knew about the recent gate incident.
“Just luck. Besides, my contract with the Association bars guild membership or emigration.”
“We’ve investigated. That contract’s unfair. We’ll nullify it if you join us.”
As a major U.S. guild, they undoubtedly had leverage over the American Awakener Association. But Jun-hyuk had no interest in relocating.
“I’ve obligations here. Sorry you came all this way.”
After a hushed discussion, Jeong-a pressed, “What obligations? We can assist.”
“Personal matters. And I’ve no intention of joining any guild.”
“No room for negotiation?”
“None.”
“At least review our offer.” She produced a contract: 10 billion won signing bonus, 3 billion annual salary, S-grade gear, housing, and more—terms unheard of for a first awakener.
“Initially, the offer was lower,” she admitted. “But tanking five D-rank monsters simultaneously? Even veteran A-rankers can’t do that. Only S-rankers like Jonathan Curtis.”
“But I’m not officially an Irregular.”
“Irrelevant. Your feats speak for themselves. These terms match veteran A-rank tankers.”
“Impressive, but my answer stands.”
“Very well. Contact us if you reconsider.”
As they parted, Jun-hyuk Copy-scanned them—all ordinary humans.
Late that night, Jun-hyuk entered the E-rank hunting zone in Baekseok-dong.
While his Species Camouflage allowed easy passage through F-rank zones, E-rank required caution. Higher-tier monsters saw through such disguises.
Using stealth, he slipped into an outlet mall near Baekseok Station and activated a teleportation circle on the rooftop.
[Teleportation Circle Activated.]
[Connect to [Home]?]
“Connect.”
[Connection established. Name new circle.]
“E-rank Base Camp.”
[Current Active Circles: 3/3]
He frowned. “Need higher-tier Teleport soon. Direct jumps to D-rank zones exceed 20 km.”
The D-rank zone in Ilsanseo-gu lay beyond his current range, forcing either hour-long cooldowns or tedious detours. Second awakening Teleport allowed seven circles and 150 km ranges—a priority to copy.
