[Heavenly Demon Body]
[The exceptional physique of a Heavenly Demon.]
[Allows for rapid mastery of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.]
[Enhances physical abilities and improves the efficiency of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.]
[Type: Class Trait]
[Rank: A]
I clenched my fists tightly.
Ever since my class became the Heavenly Demon, my body felt lighter, and I was brimming with strength. At this point, it was far superior to my real-world physique.
'This thing in my head… is it the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?'
My mind was filled with knowledge about the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. How to wield a sword, how to use my hands and feet, how to breathe, how to handle demonic energy, and so on. There was so much that I couldn't immediately make sense of it all.
'Using the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, I can convert mana into demonic energy…'
Demonic energy is different from mana—it's a rough, destructive force. Even with the same amount, demonic energy is far more powerful.
"Huuuup!"
I took a deep breath and focused the demonic energy into my fist. Then, I punched forward with all my might.
"Heavenly Demon Punch!"
Kwaang!
A shockwave erupted in the air.
When I first awakened my mana, something similar happened, but unlike back then, I didn't budge an inch this time. There was some recoil, but it wasn't concerning. In fact, the recoil was less than before.
'Since I moved and used the demonic energy according to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the recoil had to be minimal.'
Next, I gripped Hwaryeonbido in my hand.
Uuuung!
The sword trembled slightly, and a black energy began to coat the blade.
I smiled in satisfaction.
Heavenly Demonic Qi.
This was the external manifestation of demonic energy. Simply put, it could be called an aura or sword energy.
'This isn't something I created solely through my own skill.'
It was the effect of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art skill. To be precise, it was the adjustment of the Atlantis system. Without the help of the Atlantis system, I wouldn't be able to use this in the real world.
'This consumes quite a bit of mana, so I probably can't maintain it for long right now.'
I swung the sword toward a nearby apple tree. The trunk was cleanly cut without any resistance. It wasn't just the cutting power—my strength seemed to have increased as well.
"Heavenly Demon Flying Claw!"
I infused the Heavenly Demonic Qi into my nails and slashed through the air. The energy flew about 5 meters before dissipating.
[The Demon King of the Heavens smiles.]
[The Lord of the Sky looks at you with dissatisfaction.]
[The Lord of the Sky sponsors 1,000 AP.]
["Don't forget that your true power lies in lightning."]
"Of course, Lord Zeus."
I suppressed the urge to use more of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. I wanted to try out each and every move, but the Lord of the Sky was clearly displeased, and time was also running short.
'I'm also curious about the power of lightning.'
<<<<<>>>>>
[Name: Seong Eugene]
[Class: Thunder Madman]
[Title: Capitalist]
[Constellation: Lord of the Sky]
[Affiliation: AL 401 Earth]
[Stats]
[Strength: 26]
[Agility: 24]
[Stamina: 27]
[Mana: 46]
[Luck: 20]
[Unique Trait: Deception (SS)]
[Trait: Lightning (A)]
[Skill: Astrape (C), Thunderstorm (C)]
(Primary status window active.)
<<<<<>>>>>
I changed the status window.
I felt the strength draining from my body. It felt like my body had suddenly become heavier. It must be because the effects of the Heavenly Demon Body had disappeared.
'Hmm… I have the knowledge of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, but… I can't quite grasp how to use it.'
It felt like I knew it but couldn't understand it.
It was like memorizing a formula without understanding how to apply it.
'Since I have the knowledge, maybe I can practice step by step and eventually use it… Will I be able to use it in the real world?'
The real world and this place have different worldviews, so it might not be possible.
But in my opinion, there's a possibility. Mana exists in the real world too. There are some similarities between the Heavenly Demon Divine Art and the Yeongcheon Style I've learned.
"I'll have to try it to find out."
I shifted my gaze to the status window.
As expected from making a contract with Zeus, all three traits and skills were related to lightning.
[Lightning]
[You can control lightning.]
[The effects of lightning are enhanced.]
[You gain resistance to lightning.]
[Type: Trait]
[Rank: A]
Pazizizizik!
A bolt of lightning crackled and appeared on my palm.
'It still consumes mana.'
Surprisingly, the lightning moved according to my will. The problem was that mana was drained each time I did so. When I clenched my fist, the lightning was caught in my hand. It felt warm, but the sensation was too subtle to describe accurately.
I threw the lightning at the tree trunk.
Pazik!
The lightning struck the tree. Black smoke rose from the tree before dissipating. The speed and power were nothing special. It was nowhere near the level of a natural lightning strike.
'If I consume more mana, I might be able to increase its power.'
This time, I used Astrape.
Lightning coated the blade of Hwaryeonbido.
It felt like an enchantment. I could either strengthen the weapon or throw the lightning imbued in it.
'If I fight someone who can't use mana, just clashing swords would electrocute them.'
From the opponent's perspective, lightning itself would undoubtedly be an annoying power.
'And then there's Thunderstorm.'
When I used Ten Thousand Thunderbolts, a blue lightning bolt in the shape of a swastika (卍) appeared in the air, slowly rotating.
'Fire.'
As I gave the signal, lightning shot out from the center of the swastika. The speed was completely different from when I threw the lightning earlier. It wasn't as fast as a natural lightning strike, but it would be hard to dodge.
The Thunderstorm disappeared into the air after being fired.
'The accuracy isn't as good as I thought. I'll need to level up my Marksmanship trait.'
I used Thunderstorm again. This time, I moved the Thunderstorm itself.
'Discharge.'
The Thunderstorm exploded, and lightning scattered in all directions.
'Thunderstorm. This is pretty useful, isn't it?'
It seemed like it could be used in various situations. If I had enough mana, I could increase its power or even use multiple bolts simultaneously.
"Thunderstorm!"
With a rumbling thunderclap, lightning shot toward the spot I pointed at. It hit an apple tree dead-on. The tree caught fire and began to burn fiercely.
I nodded in satisfaction.
Shortly after, I collapsed to the ground. Having used up all my mana, exhaustion hit me all at once.
'I originally planned to only complete the tutorial in God's Atlantis. I'll do the rest later and slowly wrap up the game.'
I was satisfied. I had increased my mana stat with mana fruits and thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of mana. Most importantly, I had unlocked the Lightning trait.
'I've gained a lot.'
[The Fallen Star is curious.]
[The Lord of the Sky frowns immediately.]
[The Fallen Star looks at the Lord of the Sky and smiles awkwardly.]
[The King of Demons gazes at the Fallen Star.]
[The Fallen Star is surprised to see the King of Demons.]
[The Fallen Star is intrigued by you.]
I frowned.
The Fallen Star.
I knew its identity from the original work. It was a constellation seat that preyed on the exiled whenever it got the chance. I wasn't thrilled by the Fallen Star's interest.
I wished I could drive it away like I did with the Clock Tower's Serial Killer, but… the Fallen Star was a high-ranking constellation, so it would be impossible.
'With the Lord of the Sky behind me, it probably won't try anything openly.'
I just needed to be cautious of the Fallen Star.
[The Fallen Star asks what's going on.]
[The Golden Collector closes his eyes and goes to sleep.]
[The King of Demons leaves for a moment.]
[The Lord of the Sky raises his middle finger.]
[The Fallen Star is very curious.]
[The Fallen Star looks at you. It wants you to explain.]
After observing the reactions of the constellations, I closed my eyes.
'End the game.'
[Ending the game.]
[Calculating experience points.]
[The Lord of the Sky's bond level is 1.]
[The King of Demons' bond level is 2.]
[You have earned 1 bonus point for reaching bond level 2.]
[Joo Seo-hyun's bond level is 4.]
[....]
[Level has increased.]
[You have earned 13 points.]
***
Upon returning to reality, I immediately stopped the "Gods of Atlantis" game. I had no intention of continuing it for now.
'It's about time to dive into the original work in the Baekhwan world.'
I plan to start Gods of Atlantis after securing a firm position in the Baekhwan World.
=====
[Name: Seong Eugene]
[Level: 37]
[Stats]
[Strength: 23]
[Stamina: 23]
[Agility: 22]
[Intelligence: 20]
[Vitality: 30]
[Mana: 27]
[Available Points: 71]
=====
Level 37.
I gained 2 levels while completing the tutorial in Gods of Atlantis. Additionally, the mana fruits I obtained during the tutorial increased my mana stat by 2. I had one mana fruit left, which I decided to give to Yuria.
'The immediate priority is to unlock the Lightning trait.'
[You can unlock the 'Lightning' trait.]
[Would you like to spend 50 points to unlock the 'Lightning' trait?]
[Yes / No / Hold]
50 points.
It cost 30 points to unlock the Marksmanship trait. Without hesitation, I pressed yes.
'Being able to control lightning for 50 points is a steal!'
[Unlocking the 'Lightning' trait.]
[Lightning Lv.1]
[You can control lightning at will. Using lightning consumes mana and vitality.]
I began to get a feel for how to use lightning.
I reached out into the air.
Thunderstorm appeared. To be precise, it was an imitation of the Thunderstorm skill from the "Gods of Atlantis" world. Its power was weaker, but the effect was similar.
'Should I try firing it?'
I dismissed the Thunderstorm. This wasn't a training ground—it was my home.
[Would you like to spend 120 points to increase the level of Lightning Lv.1 to Lv.2?]
[Insufficient points.]
"Tsk!"
I clicked my tongue as soon as I saw it. It required a whopping 120 points to level up.
I shook my head and began to slowly recall the Heavenly Demon Divine Art in my mind.
'The Heavenly Demon Divine Art… I think I can practice it in the real world.'
I sat in the lotus position and began to practice the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
After 30 minutes.
I shook my head again.
I had moved my mana according to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, but the mana didn't transform into demonic qi.
'I can use a part of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art with mana… but that's not the real Heavenly Demon Divine Art.'
Even that part wasn't the true Heavenly Demon Divine Art, so it was clear that it wouldn't unleash its full power.
I practiced the Heavenly Demon Divine Art for three hours before giving up. I realized it was impossible with my current talent. It would be better to focus on practicing lightning rather than the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
'If I ask Jin Se-young about the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, it'll probably be a hassle… Should I ask Yuria when I enter the Baekhwan?'
Yuria is the greatest genius in the worldview. She might immediately notice what I'm missing.
'For now, I'll practice lightning. Maybe, thanks to the Lightning trait, I can obtain the Yeongcheon Style's Thunder Light.'
My prediction was correct.
The Lightning trait influenced the Yeongcheon Style, and I obtained the Yeongcheon Style's Thunder Light. Both Jin Se-young and Jin Woo-sung acknowledged my Thunder Light.
'As for Dark Shadow… I'm not sure. But I'm satisfied with just obtaining Thunder Light! Hahaha!'
I decided to save the remaining points for now and use them to level up my Marksmanship trait later.
***
I received a message from Oh Jun-hyuk, a fellow Hunter Department student and friend.
He asked out of the blue if I was free.
I thought about this Friday. It was a day off, and I didn't have any special plans.
Even if it weren't a day off, I wouldn't have to go to school. Grades? In the Hunter Department, only a few oddballs care about grades.
"I'm free. Why?"
I asked back half-heartedly. Oh Jun-hyuk, the club enthusiast, asking about my time on Friday could only mean one thing—he wanted to go clubbing.
I rubbed the back of my head with my left hand. I never expected Oh Jun-hyuk to suggest anything other than clubbing. A part-time job was beyond my imagination.
"...Part-time job? Why would a Hunter do a part-time job?"
If a Hunter needs money urgently, they can form a public party and enter a dungeon to hunt. Oh Jun-hyuk and I are E-rank Hunters. If we put our minds to it, we could earn hundreds of thousands of won in a day.
If money is really tight, we can just take out a loan from the Hunter Association.
At the word "celebrity," I became serious.
"A celebrity? Of course, I'd want to see one in person. What's this about? A manager or something?"
300,000 won. It's a low daily rate for hiring a Hunter.
…No, the money isn't the important part. What matters is getting to see a celebrity in person. And which celebrity it is.
I asked Oh Jun-hyuk with a hint of nervousness.
"What drama is it?"
***
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