[Other-Race Support]
▸ Race Development (Orc): 50P
― Improves the overall capabilities of the Orc race
― Increases combat power, intelligence, and adaptability
▸ Race Blessing (Orc): 30P
― Strengthens the Orc race for 24 hours
▸ Induce Race Awakening: 80P
― Increases the chance of an Awakened emerging among another race
'......'
My breath caught.
'Wait. Induce Race Awakening?'
I read it again. There was no mistake.
'Orcs can produce an Awakened too?'
My heart pounded. My mind raced.
One Primitive Human Awakened had held out against five Orcs. Just one. Then what if an Orc became Awakened?
Orcs' basic physical abilities far surpassed those of Primitive Humans. What if Awakening was added on top of that?
'...That's insane.'
Goosebumps rose across my skin.
And that was not all.
Primitive Humans had "Civilization Development," which advanced their stage by transmitting technology.
Meanwhile, the Orcs had "Race Development," which raised the capabilities of the entire race at once.
'I can develop both of them.'
Primitive Humans through civilization. Orcs through their race. I could maximize each one's strengths.
'This is possible? Seriously?'
In game terms, it was almost like playing with cheats or mods. Moreover...
'Could it work with other races too?'
Elves. Dwarves. Lizardmen. What if I could get them to join as well? What if a new category opened each time?
'...This is broken. Completely broken.'
A smile crept onto my face.
I looked back at the Orcs. They were still prostrate, their foreheads nearly touching the ground.
"Raise your heads."
The Orc in front slowly raised its head.
Tears welled in its eyes. Droplets gathered over its black irises and ran down its cheeks.
'So Orcs cry too.'
I had never known. It was not something I could have seen in the game. Back then, they were just monsters to kill.
"We're part of the same tribe now."
The Orc nodded without wiping away its tears.
[Notification]
10 minutes remain in Descent.
My time was already almost up.
"I'll come back tomorrow."
I spoke to the Awakened, then looked at the Orcs as well.
"Rest well until then."
My body began to glow. My heart was drawing me back in.
I looked around the cave one last time. One hundred Primitive Humans. Nine Orcs. Huts. Pottery. Bows. A temple. My statue. Rising smoke.
'First Dungeon cleared. First successful diplomacy.'
I closed my eyes.
'It was a pretty good day.'
Light poured down.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw a familiar sight.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. A cracked ceiling. Yellowed wallpaper. The smell of mold. My familiar studio apartment.
But I felt different. Something hot lingered inside my chest.
'Shop.'
A window appeared before my eyes.
[Planetary Ruler System]
Point Shop
Current Points: 102P
━━ Other-Race Support ━━
▸ Race Development (Orc): 50P
▸ Race Blessing (Orc): 30P
▸ Induce Race Awakening: 80P
My gaze stopped on "Induce Race Awakening." Eighty points. If I spent them, I would have only 22 left.
'Invest in the Orcs?'
Honestly, I hesitated.
They had only just joined. Building trust would take time. What if they betrayed us? What if an Awakened Orc attacked the tribe? What if it stabbed us in the back with the power I had nurtured?
I pressed a finger to my forehead. My thoughts were tangled.
But.
I remembered the look in the Orcs' eyes when I personally knelt and treated their wounds. The ones who had even shed tears. Had that been an act? No. It had been sincere.
And above all, an Awakened instinctively obeyed the Ruler. The Primitive Human Awakened had. An Orc Awakened would be the same.
'It's worth the gamble.'
I made my decision.
[Induce Race Awakening]
80P will be consumed.
Target Race: Orc
[Investment Complete]
The chance of an Awakened emerging among the Orc race has increased.
▸ Previous Chance: 0.05%
▸ Increase: +15%
▸ Current Chance: 15.05%
Remaining Points: 22P
'...What?'
I rubbed my eyes without thinking. But nothing changed.
Fifteen percent.
'Is that right?'
The base Awakening rate for humanity was 0.1 percent. A figure that might produce one out of every 1,000 people. Yet a single 80-point purchase had raised the Orcs' rate to 15 percent.
A difference of 150 times.
Fifteen percent of nine meant at least one could Awaken. If I was lucky, even two might.
'Does that... make sense?'
At that rate, the Orcs' true advantage was not reproduction or Race Development, but the rate at which an Awakened emerged. It was practically cheating.
'This crosses the line.'
What could I do with this? With a single "Awakened unit," I might be able to do something similar to a Hunter Guild in reality...
I tried to keep thinking, but exhaustion soon washed over me. The Dungeon. The boss fight. Descent. Diplomacy. Treatment. Investment. Too much had happened in one day.
'First, a quick nap...'
I lost consciousness in an instant.
***
The next morning.
On the subway to the Seoul Awakened Center, I stood in a corner and pretended to gaze out the window. In reality, I was looking at a different scene.
'Observe.'
A translucent screen appeared before my eyes. Another world overlaid the interior of the subway. The planet inside my heart.
A forest came into view. The Primitive Humans and Orcs were moving together.
Three Primitive Humans were hiding behind a tree, bows drawn. A short distance away, two Orcs crouched low. They exchanged glances.
A deer grazed on the grass, unaware of everything.
SWISH!
An arrow flew out and buried itself in the deer's flank. But it was not an instant kill. The deer immediately bolted.
At that moment, the Orcs burst from cover. They ran on all fours like beasts. They caught up to the deer in an instant. A club came crashing down.
THUD—!
The Primitive Humans approached. Together with the Orcs, they lifted the deer and headed toward the cave. The Awakened led the group from the front.
'They only joined yesterday, and they're already working that well together?'
I could not help but admire them. The Primitive Humans drove the prey while the Orcs finished it off. Their division of labor was natural. It was a hunting method that made use of both races' strengths.
'What would an Orc Awakened be like?'
I suddenly became curious.
The Primitive Human Awakened had gained Spearmanship. In other words, a form of technique characteristic of the Primitive Humans.
An Orc would be different. Their physical abilities already far surpassed Primitive Humans to begin with. Monstrous strength? Regeneration? Or a berserker-type power like Berserk?
I could not imagine it. There were no "Orc Awakened" in reality or in the game. I would have to see one for myself.
"The next stop is Awakened Center Station."
I closed the screen at the announcement. When the doors opened, I slipped through the crowd.
***
Inside the center, I walked to the reception desk.
"I'd like to enter a Dungeon."
The receptionist raised her head. She was a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties, dressed in a neat suit with a gentle expression. After checking her monitor, her eyes widened slightly.
"Mr. Lee Junhyeok... you were caught in a Dungeon mutation yesterday, weren't you?"
There must have been a record of the Goblin Chief transforming into a Great Chief.
"Yes."
"Are you all right? You weren't hurt anywhere?"
Her concern looked genuine.
"I'm perfectly fine."
"Really?"
The receptionist tilted her head.
"People who go through a mutation accident usually take some time off. A lot of them won't even come near a Dungeon for a while because of the trauma..."
"I'm fine."
I paused for a moment, then added.
"I'd actually like to enter a stronger Dungeon."
The receptionist blinked. She stared at me for a moment, then began typing again.
"You have some remarkable nerve. In that case, I'll assign you to an E-grade Dungeon. You defeated an E-grade boss yesterday, so you should be fine."
E-grade. The same Grade as yesterday's Great Chief.
Of course, they would not really grant me entry simply because I had survived yesterday.
The guide had probably put in a good word for me.
"For reference, you'll need a license starting from D-grade. You have to pass a promotion exam administered by the Association."
"An exam?"
"Yes. There's a written test and a practical exam. The danger rises sharply from D-grade onward, so they prevent just anyone from entering."
I nodded. D-grade. I committed that to memory.
"Would you like me to give you the exam schedule if you're interested?"
"Yes, please."
The receptionist handed me a sheet of paper listing the exam schedule and required items.
"Your application for E-grade Dungeon matching is complete. Please wait in the lounge."
I folded the paper, slipped it into my pocket, and headed to the lounge.
'A D-grade license.'
I wanted to earn it quickly. To become stronger, I had to enter stronger Dungeons. I had to hunt stronger monsters.
I needed points. For the Primitive Humans. For the Orcs. And for myself.
A few Hunters waiting for their turn were visible around the lounge. They were all different, but they shared one thing: tension in their eyes.
It was not that I felt no tension. But there was less of it than yesterday. I had already defeated an E-grade boss.
I looked at the monitor. My name was listed as "Matching in Progress."
I waited. I leaned back against the sofa and closed my eyes. In my head, I replayed yesterday's battle. The Great Chief's movements. The location of its weak point. The moment I fooled it with a feint.
I opened my eyes and checked the monitor.
[Matching Complete]
E-grade Dungeon: Corrupted Temple
Party Composition: 4
Entry Portal: Gate 7
'Corrupted Temple.'
It was a Dungeon inhabited by Golems. It was fairly famous with the public as well. They were tough and slow, but each blow was heavy. Their weakness was the core embedded in their chests.
'I can handle that.'
I got up and headed to Gate 7.
When I reached the gate, I saw a portal swirling with blue light. It looked the same as yesterday. But it felt different. Yesterday, I had felt a vague fear. Today, anticipation came first.
I took one deep breath and stepped forward. Light enveloped my body.