NOVEL WEB Chapter 142
Chapter 142
“The gate line is collapsing.”
Outside the gate.
Everyone waiting for Suho opened their eyes wide at the monitoring officer’s words.
“He cleared it?”
“For real?”
“If it’s S-rank mana, that’s almost an S-rank gate, right?”
“Wow… Seriously, Ahn Suho’s class… truly…”
“I’m actually a fan of Suho.”
“You too? Me too.”
Until just moments before, the mood outside had been split.
It was one thing that Suho had opened the gate quickly using the Fast Opening method, but clearing the gate itself was a different challenge.
Still, about half of them believed in Suho.
As the saying goes, “Old age is gold”; since Suho had already conquered several sealed gates, it was natural to expect great things from him.
And now.
Suho once again rewrote history, showing everyone his capabilities.
As Suho stepped out of the gate, Jung Chulmin, Son Dowon, and the members of the expedition team, who had arrived later, hurried over to greet him.
“Great job, Suho!”
“Wow, Suho, you really did great!”
Jung Chulmin and Son Dowon’s faces were bright.
And understandably so.
Clearing a new gate was just as important as detecting and stabilizing one.
But since Suho had taken on one of the most difficult gates, how grateful and proud must the team leaders have felt?
Suho smiled and said.
“I wasn’t particularly injured, and there weren’t any significant spoils acquired inside.”
“Ah, look at this kid talking. Kid! Is that what matters now? Your health is what’s important!”
“Exactly, that’s what matters. Who cares about the spoils? We’re just glad you’re unharmed. Maybe it’s because you’re a healer?”
“Yes, I healed any minor wounds myself. I’ll submit the related report on time.”
“Haha, just got rid of your probation badge and already talking like a civil servant? Are you attending some academy or something?”
Suho chuckled at Jung Chulmin’s words.
Jung Chulmin then turned to Son Dowon.
“If the gate’s cleared, that’s the end, right? We’ll submit the report later, so we’re heading out first?”
“Oh, yeah. You’ve all worked hard, so head out first. I’ll handle the cleanup here.”
Son Dowon gestured them to leave, giving them a swift nod.
Staying around to chat aimlessly wouldn’t do, and there were people waiting for Suho and Jung Chulmin.
The people waiting for the two?
None other than the expedition team members.
As Son Dowon left, Jung Chulmin finally introduced the expedition team members to Suho.
“It’s been busy for both sides, so I’m just now introducing everyone. Guys, meet Assistant Team Leader Ahn Suho, our newly appointed assistant. And this is Team Leader Lee Won-an.”
Upon Jung Chulmin’s introduction, Suho respectfully bowed.
“I’m Ahn Suho.”
“I’m Lee Won-an.”
Jung Chulmin then introduced the four expedition team members in turn.
After the introductions, Lee Won-an grinned and said.
“Finally, I get to meet our Assistant Team Leader. I can’t tell you how much I’ve looked forward to meeting you, hearing all about your reputation. But to meet like this, in such an intense setting…”
Lee Won-an’s words were genuine.
How could it not be?
The Ahn Suho, Sword God, was now his superior. How could he not be excited and curious?
And Suho was known for fearlessly conquering gates as an unprecedented genius player.
Suho smiled humbly.
“Haha, no, not at all. I’ve also heard a lot about you, Team Leader. I heard you not only lead the expedition team but also help lead the raid team when needed.”
“Ah, well, it’s just because I’m the only person available. But, well…”
Lee Won-an, with a subtle look, asked Jung Chulmin.
“So, will our Assistant Team Leader be taking charge of the expedition or raid team operations?”
“Well…”
Jung Chulmin looked at Suho.
In fact, he was gauging Suho’s reaction.
Since they hadn’t discussed this matter yet.
So, Suho spoke before Jung Chulmin could say anything.
“I was planning to discuss this soon. If both of you are fine with it, could we have a serious discussion about it later? I’m currently in the middle of something…”
That “something” referred to a special quest.
Picking up on Suho’s hint, Jung Chulmin quickly supported him.
“Right. This is a serious matter, so let’s talk about it slowly later. Our Assistant here was handling something for me, but he came here in a rush when the S-rank gate opened. Assistant, thanks for your hard work, and submit the report at your own pace. It’ll take us some time to wrap things up here anyway.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Assistant, you’ve been so busy right from the start. This is the fate of capable people, isn’t it? Haha. We’ll be waiting with anticipation. And…”
Lee Won-an took out an energy bar from his pocket and handed it to Suho.
“This is all I have on me now, but let’s have a big celebration next time. Thank you so much. Thanks to you, our Special Forces Team 2 can hold our heads high again.”
Suho quietly accepted the energy bar.
It wasn’t just an ordinary protein bar with a high protein content.
The energy bar he received was a specialized energy bar for players, made in the modern era.
“It seems the expedition team’s work is quite busy.”
Of course, if they managed to have meals on time, something like this wouldn’t be necessary, but they must be really busy.
Suho accepted the energy bar and said.
“Thank you; I’ll enjoy this. Let’s discuss everything else in-depth during the celebration.”
“Haha, yes! I’ll look forward to it!”
Lee Won-an playfully saluted.
Finally, Suho left the scene and headed to his parked vehicle.
“Team Leader Lee Won-an… I’ve never heard of him before, but he’s a much better person than I expected.”
There was no malice in his words.
The energy Suho saw through the Ring of Emotions was a positive white.
Suho started the engine and left Yeongwol Pavilion to avoid people’s eyes.
Only when he reached a secluded area did he start organizing his status window.
“First, let’s allocate some stats. Status check.”
[Ahn Suho]
– Lv: 110
– Class: Crusader
– Traits▲: ＜New Blood＞ ＜Heracles Candidate＞
– Strength(O): 36
– Stamina(O): 12
– Mana(R): 99
– Sense(R): 72
– Bonus Stat: 4
Though he hadn’t unlocked his second trait, he was already at level 110.
Suho allocated his 4 bonus stat points: 1 into Mana, and 3 into Sense.
[Mana Stat has reached 100.]
[Mana Stat has further developed.]
[Congratulations! Mana Stat has leveled up to Orange grade!]
Suho updated his status window and checked it again.
[Ahn Suho]
– Lv: 110
– Class: Crusader
– Traits▲: ＜New Blood＞ ＜Heracles Candidate＞
– Strength(O): 36
– Stamina(O): 12
– Mana(O): 1
– Sense(R): 75
– Bonus Stat: 0
Seeing his updated status, a smile appeared on Suho’s lips.
“Three orange stats at level 110.”
He might be the fastest-growing player among all humans.
Yet, he still felt it wasn’t enough.
He was a regressor.
And this time, he planned to clear a Five Disasters gate alone, so in that context, it still wasn’t enough.
Suho reflected on his status window.
“I’ve been too focused on growth to manage my stats… If I want to receive the Unity Privilege, I should start managing them now. But…”
Could he even achieve the Unity Privilege by managing his stats from now?
Suho mentally calculated for a moment and concluded that, at this rate, it would be difficult to receive the Unity Effect this time.
“Hmm, unless I secure a large number of bonus stats, it’s almost impossible.”
It was true.
Earning one bonus stat by gaining MVP rewards from gate clearances would fall far short.
To close the gap between his stats to earn the Unity Privilege, he would need to secure many bonus stats through grand or legendary achievements, which were becoming harder to come by.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“In the end, if efficiency is the goal, stat redistribution is the only solution.”
Stat redistribution wasn’t such a surprising technique.
After the Great Cataclysm, many ways of handling stats, like stat redistribution and stat deletion, were discovered.
“It would be foolish to throw away the stats I worked hard to gain just for a Unity Effect… so redistribution is my only option.”
And currently, the only way to redistribute stats was by obtaining that item.
He knew how.
Though stat redistribution was discovered in the later stages, the recipe for creating that item was publicly revealed thanks to Seul-gi Kang, the Unidentified.
Suho mentally added it to his schedule and then displayed the information on Vampire Blood.
[Vampire Blood]
– Grade: S+
# Pure bloodline of the original vampires, the ‘Royal Vampires,’ also known as the Nobles of the Night.
# Lv.1 – Royal Blood: Original Vampire(S)
# Lv.2 – [???]
: Locked
└ Unlock Conditions
① Achieve level 100.
② Reach
S-rank in the Blood Jade skill.
# Lv.3……
Suho examined the information on Vampire Blood.
The condition for unlocking the second authority of Vampire Blood.
It required not only reaching level 100 but also achieving S-rank in the Blood Jade skill.
“S-rank…”
Currently, his Blood Jade skill was at A-rank, so he only needed to raise it by one rank.
But S-rank wasn’t B or C—it was the highest level.
Achieving it was easier said than done.
That’s why he had decided to tackle Dragon’s Blood before Vampire Blood.
Defeating something was easier than increasing a skill’s rank.
“Grinding proficiency is an option, but…”
How many times would he have to repeat actions to rank up through simple repetition?
And since the goal was S-rank, he couldn’t even estimate the experience needed.
So, he had originally intended to rank up his skill by using a special item, much like the stat redistribution item.
But now, with the acquisition of the Military Tactics skill in the Yeongwol Gate, more options had opened up.
“Hmm.”
What should he do?
After pondering for a moment, Suho made up his mind.
“Yes. Let’s stick to the original plan. It’s not something to make just this once; it’ll be useful for the future, so I’ll set up the system properly.”
Even though he’d put it off out of annoyance, thinking that desperate times called for action, he decided to handle it all now.
Just then.
Bzzz!
His phone vibrated.
Suho checked the caller ID and answered.
“Yes, Hyun-hee.”
The caller was Yoon Hyunchul’s younger sister, Yoon Hyun-hee.