Max Talent Player

Chapter 133

I decided to draw a new picture. If it was dangerous for me to move on my own, then I had to move the Guardians, with an emphasis on the s in Guardians.

Are you streaming right now?

No.

I thought so. Senia had grown to the point where she couldnt even be compared to her former, newbie self, and she had long since learned the directing technique of cutting the footage right at the climax, called a sudden cut or sudden cliffhanger. 

If you had been streaming, I would have been disappointed.

...

Normally, a Player couldnt say this sort of thing to an Intermediate Administrator without getting in trouble, but that wasnt the case for us. Senia didnt look particularly bothered. In fact, she seemed to have taken my words as a compliment.

I am in the process of learning many things thanks to Player Kim Hyukjin.

The arrogance shed shown in the past was gone. Her humility and readiness to learn had grown in spades.

Youll be able to learn a lot this time, too.

Senias wings quivered for a moment, a sign that she had immediately picked up on the meaning behind my words.

What do you plan on doing?

As Im sure you saw, I got the Red Eyes. Thats probably why you ended the stream.

Yes.

So watch carefully. See what I do moving forward.

I had to discuss things with my Intermediate Administrator a little before enacting the plan. I gave Senia a fairly detailed explanation so she could understand what kind of picture would be unfurling and how I would get there.

...is how Ill do it.

After thinking for a long time, Senia slowly opened her mouth.

If a regular Player had come to me with this sort of plan, I would have refused without hesitation. The angel closed her eyes for a moment. She was as expressionless as usual, but I could feel that she was struggling to make a decision. 

...However, Player Kim Hyukjin is not a regular Player.

She closed her eyes again. A little more time passed.

So I will participate in this potentially very reckless plan of yours.

It seemed she was aware that we were already in the same boat. I was surprised. I thought she would try to stop me a few times.

Youre not trying to stop me?

If I did, would you listen to me?

Nope. She was well aware. Are you not trying to stop me because I wouldnt listen even if you did?

If that was all, it was a little disappointing. It would be great if my Streamer, Senia, had grown as much as I had since my regression.

No. I tried weighing the profit to be gained from proceeding with the scenario vs. the loss from blocking it. It is certainly dangerous and reckless, but I made the judgment that there is indeed a great deal of profit to be made.

Her words were right. It was, as I always said, high risk, high return. After pausing for a breath, Senia added one more thing. 

All of this is something I could conclude because it is Player Kim Hyukjin, my exclusive contracted Player.

* * *

* * *

I had dinner with my family

It wasnt anything special, but I enjoyed it. Noonas cooking skills were improving by the day. She said cooking was fun, and she was telling the truth. I knew because I once examined Noonas back while she was cooking.

State: Having Fun / Curious / Excited / Anticipation

The act of cooking itself was enjoyable to her. Come to think of it, I had a faint memory of Noona wanting to become a chef a very long time ago.

Was that really her dream?

I didnt know. If her dream was to become a chef, then I would actively support her. I now had the ability to make whatever she wanted a reality. Because in this world ruled by new culture, I was capable of becoming one of the rulers of new culture.

Noona. Your kimchi stew today is killer.

Shut up and eat.

No, its super delicious. You could totally become a chef.

I saw Noonas face through the steam coming off the pot of stew. Our little miss Kim Ahyoungs face was a little red. She fanned her face awkwardly.

Tch, making a stew made it all hot in here.

Noona got up and opened the window. Unfortunately for her, I was an Observer, and I could clearly see the flush on the back of her neck. I decided for her sake to pretend I hadnt seen anything.

After dinner, Sunhwa came to my room, a frequent occurrence after eating. She would probably rattle off everything that happened at school again. Though it was annoying sometimes, it also made me happy. Even though it was annoying, if she didnt come, Id probably miss her bubbly chatter.

Sunhwa. Ill say something first today.

Really?

Sunhwas eyes widened. To my fascination, her ears actually perked up like a little puppy. There were people out there who could move their ears, and she was one of them.

What is it?

She sat on my desk chair and stared at me, waiting for what I had to say with bated breath. Her bright and shining eyes were full of curiosity.

Im going to go into a dungeon by myself this time.

A dungeon?

Yeah.

What kind of dungeon?

I started talking with Sunhwa. When our discussion was mostly at its end, Sunhwas state changed.

State: Trust / Faith / Worry / Fear

Summary: Worried Brocon

The weak or slight modifiers disappeared. How come her summary was getting stranger and stranger as time went on? When would this girls puberty be over?

In any case, her worry is sincere.

Getting your familys worry wasnt a bad feeling. Although she was inwardly worrying a lot, my admirable tank was as diligent as ever.

What should I do then?

I need you to

I would clear the Gwanghwamun Dungeon on my own. But there was something that Sunhwa had to do for me.

The foundation was all set.

* * *

One day passed. My physical and mental preparations were complete.

Gwanghwamun Dungeon.

I would be entering the Gwanghwamun Dungeon, the flower of the beginner period.

Though it hasnt opened yet.

I needed to look around a little and get my bearings. Another day passed, and my exploration finished as well.

TN: This is a good time to give a little more detail about the Gwanghwamun. It is the largest gate of the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Now, it is a cultural and historic monument and a tourist destination in Seoul.

October 19, 2018. Gwanghwamun Dungeon is generated.

A dungeon gate would be activated in Gwanghwamun, leading to a dungeon that would be cleared by 108 Players, including Taeguk Shield. That moment marked the beginning of Taeguk Shields wave of success.

The day after tomorrow, huh.

I decided to rest for two days to recover my stamina and reach the best condition possible. If the U-Plex Dungeon was a nearly impossible dungeon to break in the beginner period, the Gwanghwamun Dungeon was a dungeon you needed to clear.

I wont tell anyone about the dungeonization.

I had learned my lesson from the U-Plex Dungeon. Wed been lucky and had been able to prevent the disaster back then, but that was all luck.

I cant always bank on being lucky.

I couldnt save everyone anyway. There was no way to block off the Gwanghwamun, and even if it was blocked off, that would very likely only result in greater loss of life. Forcefully twisting the flow of history would also create many variables.

Yes. This is the right path.

I saw laughing and smiling couples passing by, enjoying a joyful time. They were lucky and visited today, but those who visited tomorrow might end up dying.

As much as I would like to protect them, if possible

That was outside of my ability. But just then, I heard a notice.

[A trace of the Will Incantation remains intact.]

[The weak influence of the Hand of Salvation remains within you.]

I still had the power of the Will Incantation in me, which allowed me to retain a weakened version of the temporary ability I was granted.

Because its the Hand of Salvation

It reacted to my brief will to protect. And I intuitively knew what it was I had to do.

I have no proof.

I didnt have any concrete proof. It was just a hunch, something I had felt many times while Playing.

Ill find it.

I didnt even know what it was I was supposed to find. It just occurred to me that I had to find something. Sometimes, even without concrete proof, trusting my intuition and gut was the answer. No, that was the case countless times. Was it simply luck? No. This was the talent of intuition.

[Observing with Observers Eye.]

[The weak power of the Incantation of Salvation is assisting Observers Eye.]

[The weak influence of the Hand of Salvation is assisting Observers Eye.]

The abilities in my arsenal joined hands, bolstering each other.

What do I need to find?

I didnt know. I stood there, taking in the unknown and invisible flow around me, the energy I could sense only with my thoughts, the smell of the wind, the fragrance of the sky, the concentration of the light, the density of the crowd. The sand on the ground, the sound of honking cars, the many buildings standing along the road.

Each of those things was one element making up a whole, the world.

[Observing with Observers Eye.]

I kept hearing that notice. It wasnt one I often heard. It was only triggered when I was focusing very intently. And this notice was telling me something.

Focus.

I cast my eye inward. I had the feeling that if I focused, if I really focused, I would be able to see a path. That I would be able to see something faint become clear.

Focus.

I didnt know how much time I spent like that, but when this sort of thing happened, quite a lot of time passed without me realizing it. 

Ah.

I started to make out something I hadnt seen before. I picked up a weak flow from the rightmost of the gates three doors.

I can feel the distortion.

A weak distortion. A very slight irregularity I could only barely, barely see after constant observation with an Observers Eye boosted by the Incantation of Salvation.

A distortion of power.

I approached it, and the closer I got, the clearer it became. 

I cant let my focus be broken.

I needed maximum concentration. Everything else faded from view.

The smell of the wind. The fragrance of the sky. The concentration of the light. The density of the crowd. The sand on the ground. The honking cars. The many buildings standing on the road.

I perceived none of those things. My entire being was focused on one thing, the distorted flow of power that could only be seen with Observers Eye.

I can

I reached out.

...touch it.

In that instant, I felt something.

[You have discovered the entrance of the Gwanghwamun Dungeon.]

[The entrance of the Gwanghwamun Dungeon has not yet been officially generated.]

[The Gwanghwamun Dungeons Open Beta Scenario is beginning.]

The notices continued.

[The scenario Early Adopter - ver. Gwanghwamun Dungeon can be progressed.]

[Proceed with the scenario Early Adopter - ver. Gwanghwamun Dungeon?]

Today was October 16th. Originally, the Gwanghwamun Dungeon shouldnt be open yet.

Im in good condition.

I was going to rest for about two days, but the situation had changed. I called Sunhwa.

Hello?

Sunhwa. Were moving the plan forward by two days.

Huh?

It didnt take long to get Sunhwa to understand.

Got it! Oppa. You have to be super careful. I trust you. Dont get hurt.

After a round of worrying from Sunhwa, I focused my attention on the Gwanghwamun Dungeon.

[Proceed with the scenario Early Adopter - ver. Gwanghwamun Dungeon?]

Proceed.

I entered the Gwanghwamun Dungeon. I might just be able to accomplish my desired picture faster and more perfectly than originally planned.

Inside the dungeon, I found myself on a black field. I didnt see anything yet. It hadnt fully activated yet.

Senia came out and went out of her way to tell me that she was starting her stream. That was her cue to begin the scenario we had planned. She said one other thing.

Player Kim Hyukjin. The Gwanghwamun Dungeons maximum capacity is 120 people.

That essentially meant that 120 people could challenge the dungeon at the same time. Put in another way, it also meant the dungeon was hard enough that 120 people were necessary to clear it.

I recommend waiting here for other Players.

I had instructed her to say this for the Guardians to hear. To show the Guardians exactly what kind of Play I was doing.

I said it in the past, didnt I?

Like when I killed a Lycanthrope as an extremely low-level Player, and when I cleared minibosses or boss monsters

Ill show you how I Play.

I intentionally waited a little longer, until Senia gave me a small nod. That meant a sufficient number of Guardians had entered her channel.

Ill show you what kind of Play I do.

I would show how crazy I could make the Guardians. The pieces were aligned.

Lets begin.

I decided to progress the System-created Early Adopter scenario as well as the one I had created with my own two hands.