『You have reached the maximum Level of '40' for D-rank.』
『You receive a Limit Break Quest.』
Instead of leveling up being possible, a new quest appeared.
It was the effect of the Trait 'Talent Adjustment: Limit Break'.
Although I could not level up for a while, if I could only accomplish the objective, the reward would be enormous.
This time was no different.
『< D-rank > Limit Break Quest』
A laugh escaped me without realizing it.
'This is seriously insane.'
The rewards were similar to before, yet different. However, one thing remained unchanged: every reward was excellent. It even said that a new special effect of Talent Adjustment would appear.
'A new effect of Talent Adjustment... I wonder what it will be.'
And this was only a D-rank Limit Break Quest.
'What kind of rewards will it give later on if it's already like this?'
However, there was something truly important. The objective. After all, I had to accomplish it to receive the reward.
'Sources of demonic energy.'
I swallowed dryly.
'It's far too precise to be a coincidence.'
The objective of the quest had pointed out exactly what I had intended to do.
Did the System know something and give me this quest? Or was my own will being expressed through the System?
I frowned slightly and thought about it for a moment before reaching a conclusion.
'I don't know. How would I know?'
I could not know the answer right now. What was certain was that it would help me.
'Works for me. I can get a reward for doing what I was already planning to do.'
Stopping the demons and obtaining rewards. Two birds with one stone.
The source of demonic energy.
This was a holy artifact of the demons. It could be considered an item containing highly concentrated demonic energy.
'I need to collect all of these and destroy them.'
The reason why all the demons had not invaded this world at once was simple. The environment here was significantly different from the Demon Realm.
'What exists in this world is magical energy, while what they mainly use is demonic energy.'
In a world without demonic energy, demons could not display their true power. High-ranking demons were an exception. They could store demonic energy inside their bodies.
Once enough demonic energy spread throughout this world, the demons' migration would begin in earnest.
The demons' operation to spread demonic energy throughout the world.
I recalled a passage from a story I had heard before my regression.
A man who was heavily drunk had spoken as if he were boasting.
— The invasion happened all of a sudden? Only people who don't know anything would think that. But that's not how it was.
— The demons had been preparing step by step long before humanity even realized it.
— They called it Project: Demonic Energy. That's what those demon bastards named it.
He had been half-drunk when he said it, but his credibility was high. Because he had been a traitor who had stood on the demons' side.
— I really didn't know. I really didn't know those demon bastards were planning to kill every single human being...
I still remembered the expression on his face as he muttered as if filled with regret. Perhaps because of his guilt, he spent his days with alcohol in his mouth. Back then, there were still luxuries like alcohol remaining.
— Let go of me, let go! I won't betray anyone ever again! I swear!
But because he had such a loose mouth, the heroes dragged him away. It was because they claimed he was spreading fear among the people.
In any case, the conclusion was that I had to stop the demons' full-scale invasion preparations.
'Project: Demonic Energy.'
To stop this from beginning, I had to obtain the sources of demonic energy before anything else and destroy them.
Was it possible for me, at my current level, to recover all the sources of demonic energy?
'Unfortunately, the furthest I can stop it is South Korea.'
This was something happening throughout the world, but stopping everything would be difficult.
It would also be troublesome to tell people. Even if I shouted that there was danger everywhere, I would just be treated like a madman, then assassinated by the demons and that would be the end of it.
'For now, I'll protect only South Korea.'
Even this was uncertain whether I could succeed.
I carefully considered the possibility.
And after a while, I became certain.
'...It might be worth trying.'
The demons hiding in the human world did not indiscriminately kill people or go around proclaiming the arrival of the Demon Realm. Instead, they hid among humans and lived while pretending to be hunters.
They were intelligent. They knew how to wait for the right moment, conserve their strength, and remain hidden.
In other words, this was still the time when they had to be wary of humanity. Especially in a place with limited land like South Korea.
'I'll use that opening and destroy them all.'
The objective was decided. Now I only needed to prepare properly.
'Before that.'
There was still one important event remaining.
'I can't forget this.'
I pressed the message window I had not checked yet.
『You receive item supplies due to the effect of 'Talent Adjustment: Limit Break'.』
Items received whenever the maximum Level limit was reached.
The weapon I received at F-rank was 'Soul Devourer.' I had been using it extremely well.
Without that weapon, defeating the demon of growth would have been impossible.
Then what would I receive this time?
My heart even began to race. It was enough to make my mouth water.
'Sigh... I wonder what kind of item it will be.'
Shuaa—!
A bright light began to burst out in front of me as I waited in anticipation. When I confirmed the identity of the item, I narrowed my eyes.
'A spear?'
The newly appeared item was a spear.
『Item Information』
'Oh...'
At first glance, it was just an ordinary spear. A normal spear with a sharp metal tip attached to the end of a wooden shaft.
However, the Skills attached to it were not ordinary.
'Retrieval and Penetration. That's insane.'
Both of them were Level 5.
'I won't know for certain until I use it myself.'
Considering that a normal magic bag with Storage Lv.3 had cost 54 million won, the value of this spear was far greater. Wouldn't it be worth at least the price of a house?
At the same time, I stood up, grabbed the spear, and swung it around a few times. Even I could tell my movements looked clumsy.
'As expected, I don't really know how to use a spear.'
Perhaps because of that, no Spear Skill appeared. But even if I only threw it from a distance, the Retrieval Skill attached to it seemed like it would make it highly useful.
'I should be able to use it effectively as a secondary weapon.'
It would be difficult to use it as my main weapon. My main technique, Straight Slash, could only be performed with a sword.
'I should go to the training center tomorrow and properly test its performance.'
I carefully stored the spear in my inventory and lay down to sleep.
There were no special plans for the next week. Since I did not belong to any guild, I could not go around clearing gates.
I had been allowed to get away with it at lower-rank gates, but as gate Rank increased, access for outsiders was strictly controlled.
It was directly connected to guild safety and income.
That did not mean I could simply relax.
To find the sources of demonic energy, several preparations had to come first.
'I need to raise my Skill Levels in preparation for what comes next.'
Until I could contact Baekmuk, I had to sharpen the Skills I possessed.
'I need to get stronger quickly and crush all those demons so I can finally sleep peacefully...'
Perhaps because I had worked hard mining, I quickly fell asleep.
The next day.
I woke up early in the morning. Looking outside, the sun had not even risen yet.
It was a time of day I had never woken up at in my entire life.
And yet, my body and mind felt refreshed beyond simply being awake. There was no trace of sleepiness or stiffness.
'Is it because of the newly acquired Mental Fortitude Skill?'
It was definitely a different feeling from yesterday morning. I could even vaguely feel a sense of vitality.
Combined with Mental Fortitude and Natural Recovery, I had naturally become a morning person.
'This feels strange. I'm not someone who is this diligent.'
Still, having more available time was a good thing. I needed to train even a little more during my free time and raise my Skill Levels.
I got up and prepared to leave.
First, I stopped by a nearby purchasing shop and sold 2 million won worth of magic stones. That amount would not be enough to attract attention. The price was slightly lower than Yongsan, but time was money.
After that, I took a bus and arrived at the Hunter Training Center, which was an hour away from my home.
As a facility used by hunters with high salaries, the building itself was dazzling. It was larger than most comprehensive facilities.
Several hunters were already entering and leaving from early in the morning.
I felt moved.
'I can't believe I actually came here.'
This place was filled with training equipment customized for hunters. Since hunters possessed abilities beyond ordinary humans, even basic training was difficult with normal equipment.
This place made training for such hunters possible.
Of course, the cost was considerable. An F-rank hunter like me had never even dreamed of setting foot here. Of course, things were different now.
"Let's see."
Just as I stepped forward with an emotional feeling, a noisy sound came from behind.
Screech.
A sports car suddenly came to a sharp stop and halted in an instant. The car door opened, and a tall, handsome man stepped out.
Seeing me, he waved his hand cheerfully and approached.
"Master! To think we meet in a place like this! I guess the bond between master and disciple really is something amazing."
It was Shin Taeyang, who would become the Sword Saint in the future. He bowed brightly. I looked back and forth between Shin Taeyang and the sports car for a moment.
'Looks like the guild paid him a lot.'
Without even being asked, he started explaining.
"That? I bought it with my guild contract payment. As expected, if you're a star hunter, you need a sports car. Don't worry about parking. They offer valet parking here. Hahaha."
"Which guild."
"Ah, I should have told you first that I joined a guild. The Guardian Guild. They were so persistent about wanting me to join them. I finally gave in."
The Guardian Guild.
It was one of the three largest guilds in South Korea.
'No wonder he was paid so much.'
At the same time, I felt relieved. This part was the same as before. Even though I had interfered, Shin Taeyang had still joined the same Guardian Guild as before.
The Guardian's Sword, the Silver Wings Guild, and the Five Stars.
In current South Korea, these three guilds reigned as the top guilds. The Guardian's Sword, shortened to the Guardian Guild, had recognized the talent of the future Sword Saint.
"This isn't the place to stand around. Let's go in, Master."
"Wait."
"Yes?"
"Don't call me Master."
"Why?"
I frowned.
Rather, I wanted to ask him that. What kind of master was I? I had only surpassed Shin Taeyang in one Skill: Straight Slash.
For the future Sword Saint Shin Taeyang, it was certainly an important Skill, but at this point in time, he probably did not even know his own potential.
It would only attract unnecessary attention. If he were some unknown hunter, it would be different, but this guy had the potential to become the Sword Saint in the future.
And judging by appearances, there was not even much of an age difference between us. Master? What master?
I spoke firmly.
"Don't call me that if I tell you not to."
"Ugh, then what should I call you?"
"Hyung... No. Just call me normally. Normally."
"Lee Jihan? That also feels a little..."
I entered the center lobby together with Shin Taeyang. Seeing a place I had never visited before, my mouth slightly opened. It was just as luxurious as a hotel lobby.
"Welcome. Which room would you like to train in?"
A staff member in the lobby asked with a polite expression.
I slightly raised my head and saw the price list displayed on the screen behind them.
'Let's see how much it costs.'
The training rooms ranged from A-rank to SSS-rank. The Ranks attached to them were only names meant to sound impressive and had nothing to do with actual hunter Ranks.
They only indicated differences in the training room facilities.
The lowest A-rank cost 500,000 won per session.
The highest SSS-rank cost 5 million won per session.
You could use it for the entire day once you entered, though.
'The price is definitely not normal.'
After selling some magic stones, I only had 2 million won left. No, even if I had 100 million won, I probably would not go to the SSS-rank room.
'Come to think of it, why did this guy come here instead of using his own guild's facilities?'
He had definitely joined a major guild.
When I glanced at him suspiciously, Shin Taeyang scratched his head awkwardly.
"Ah, our guild, the Guardian Guild's training center, is currently being remodeled. The guild told me to use an external training center for the time being."
So that was it.
For major guilds, training rooms were usually fully equipped. Smaller and medium-sized guilds without such facilities visited outside centers like this to train instead. Apparently, it was more cost-effective.
I understood why Shin Taeyang was here.
It seemed we would now go our separate ways.
Shin Taeyang naturally handed a card in his hand to the employee.
"Please give us the VIP room."
He named a Rank that was not even on the price list. The employee checked the card and smiled.
"Understood. You are from the Guardian Guild. The cost is thirty million won. Will the two of you be using it?"
Thirty million won.
It cost thirty million won for a single day. No matter how much I thought about it, the price was difficult to understand...
But for an S-rank or higher hunter, it was something worth using personally.
From the perspective of a major guild, it was an amount they could easily spend. The card Shin Taeyang had probably came from the guild as well.
While seriously thinking about the price, Shin Taeyang looked at me.
"You're coming with me, right? Of course, I'll cover the cost."
"?"
I had not expected him to suggest going together.
'Hmm...'
I closed my eyes and pretended to think for a moment.
I was curious. Just how good would a 30-million-won VIP training room be? A VIP room was probably a place ordinary hunters could not even use. And above all, if it was free...
There was no reason to refuse.
'Damn, how could I refuse a 30-million-won room?'
I spoke in a dignified tone.
"Very well, my disciple. Let us go."
Shin Taeyang stared blankly at me for a moment before finally speaking.
"Uh..."
"What are you doing? Guide me."
"I-I'll lead the way, Master."
When would I ever get the chance to use a free VIP room?