Episode 206 Undead Revive – (2)
I had been meeting Ashuneri's gaze for quite a long time.
I didn't try to touch Ashuneri in a hurry, nor did I pester the creature that was staring at me intently.
I simply watched.
I thought it was a time for communion. I believed that if we were going to be together as spirits, we needed time to get used to each other.
Was it because I had been patient?
As time passed, Ashuneri grew closer to Sanghyeon.
She climbed onto the back of my hand to sniff Sanghyeon's distinctive scent and tickled my downy hairs.
One thing was certain: Ashuneri was not an elemental spirit.
Like Cindy, the lightning-attribute spirit who traveled with Jung Jun-hyuk, she did not possess a specific attribute.
Since Sanghyeon knew nothing about Ashuneri's abilities, he waited silently for her to get closer.
'It's fascinating.'
It was the first time I had observed a spirit this closely. This
was partly because the number of players who control spirits is small to begin with, and also because spirits are friendly to their masters.
In Cindy's case as well, she was always clinging to Jung Jun-hyuk like a limpet, so there was no chance to get a close look.
It seemed that if he could just commune with her, he wouldn't feel lonely even if he went into the dungeon alone in the future.
However, judging by the fact that she hadn't opened her mouth yet, she might be a spirit incapable of verbal communication.
Since nothing had been confirmed, Sang-hyun waited for his first communion with Ashuneri with a trembling heart.
After waiting for about an hour…
*Swoosh*…
Ashuneri pressed close to Sang-hyun's cheek and gently rested her own cheek on top of it.
Being the size of a fist, Ashuneri's cheek felt like a tiny ball of cotton.
She was cute.
Everything that should be in that small body was there. Even the symbols required of a female spirit.
Just then.
"Master, nice to meet you."
A voice was heard.
To be precise, it was a sound heard through mental communion, not a spoken voice.
When Sang-hyun saw Ashuneri with his own eyes, her mouth was closed. She was merely smiling shyly.
"Master," to say that. It felt strange. Sanghyun couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth curling up and asked with a smile,
"Can you hear me even if I speak?"
<"I can hear, but it takes time to interpret. The communion of thoughts is much faster and more immediate.">
"Ah…"
Did she not want a public conversation? Or did she desire a quiet connection?
It didn't really matter whether it was the former or the latter, but the difficulty of verbal conversation was a slight disappointment.
However, on the other hand, it seemed that conveying thoughts might be faster than rambling on with a mouth.
<"Will you join me?">
Ashuneri extended her hand.
There was no reason to refuse. Spirits are always a positive element for a player. It is only
because they are unavailable that one cannot find them; there is absolutely no reason to reject them when they are available. They are incredibly player-friendly.
Sanghyun nodded and transferred the warmth of his index finger to Ashuneri's palm.
At that moment.
[A permanent contract with Ashuneri has been established.]
[The Spirit of Salvation, 'Ashuneri,' will now assist the player with the following abilities.]
[Red Ashuneri – Rapidly assists the player's HP recovery. It aids in HP recovery of up to 100 per second, with a maximum capacity of 1,000.]
[Blue Ashuneri – Rapidly assists the player's Mana recovery. It aids in Mana recovery of up to 50 per second, with a maximum capacity of 1,000.]
[The capacity cannot be increased by others or other means, and thorough rest is required.]
[If Ashuneri absorbs one Legendary-grade Artifact, regardless of the slot, it grants the player the ability to Soar.]
“This is going to be incredibly useful. You have amazing abilities, don't you?”
Sanghyeon marveled.
To use an analogy, Ashuneri was a supply source capable of providing him with HP and Mana in emergencies. One
could even call it a kind of blood transfusion pack or Mana supply pack. Furthermore, it could also be utilized for reconnaissance purposes.
It is a story set in the distant future, but
it seems that absorbing a single Legendary-grade artifact assists the player in their ability to fly. Given that
I already lack enough Legendary artifacts to equip myself, it will take a long time, but it is an exciting prospect.
Sanghyun asked through communion.
He had too many questions for Ashuneri to simply scratch the surface of the options and stop there.
'How much does it take to recover HP and MP?'
<It can fill up half in an hour.>
'I see.'
<I don't know about quantified concepts.>
'Right, I understand.'
It appears it takes about two hours to fully recharge Ashuneri's supply pack(?), which has been discharged to zero.
"It’s fine if I don’t sleep. If there is anything I can help with, please let me know anytime."
"Are you choosing not to sleep, or are you unable to?"
"For a spirit bathed in nature’s care, being at ease is its true rest."
"That’s a bit enviable."
I had intended to use Ashuneri for reconnaissance, but if she doesn't need to sleep, she can also serve as a sentry.
For instance, this means I can enter dungeons that require a long duration without any burden.
Usually, when entering a dungeon, people often have to squeeze in sleep to prepare for external threats. But
if Ashuneri can keep an eye on the surroundings, I could trust her alarm and fall into a deep sleep.
There is a huge difference between having someone to warn you of danger and not having one. This is especially true for solo play.
Sanghyeon asked one more question.
"What happens if you absorb a Legendary Artifact?"
"You can transform into a human."
"Ah… …? You don’t just gain emergency abilities, but you turn into a human? Is this where you grow?"
"<Theoretically?>
'Theoretical means you haven't experienced it firsthand. There isn't just one Ashuneri in the world, is there?'
<I am the only Ashuneri. If another spirit similar to me appears, that child's name will be different.>
Then… …
It seems I am the first person to acquire a spirit in the Ashtaros Dungeon.
If someone else acquires a spirit next, it means a different spirit will be waiting.
Even Frederick, who claimed to have cleared it twice before, must not have had much fun acquiring spirits.
'The first in the world.'
It wasn't quite a grandiose title, but strictly speaking, it really was the first in the world. After all
, the player, as Ashuneri's owner, would be the first and the last.
In my previous life, the title of 'first' was something that could never exist for an Upper Rank. I had never experienced it even once.
However, in this life, thanks to the rampage that occurred simultaneously with my regression, I have gained this opportunity.
'Ashuneri. Let's talk a lot and become close from now on.' "I think your abilities will come in handy for me often."
<"I have a lot of questions about this world, too. Please teach me a lot. I'm going to bother you.">
"Just don't bother me when I'm sleeping. That's enough."
<"Okay!">
Perhaps due to Ashuneri's calm personality, the conversation didn't have a light, boisterous rhythm.
That was actually better.
If they exchanged banter with high energy, they might not be able to focus when they actually needed to.
Just then.
*Click!
* The smartphone vibrated.
It was Han Hyun-jung.
"Yes, this is Shin Sang-hyun."
<"I got a Berserk Charm. I found a decent seller in the U.S. May we proceed with the transaction?">
"Oh? Really?"
<Do you think I'd lie by making an international call? Hoho.">
It seemed the seller for the Berserk Charm requested earlier had been secured.
I thought it would take a long time, but Han Hyun-jung was indeed Han Hyun-jung. She had excellent international business acumen.
Despite the exorbitant price, there was only one reason why Sang-hyun coveted the Berserk Charm.
This is because if one can equip the Berserker's characteristic destructive aggression, the damage increase is enormous.
The downside of a Berserker is that it requires excessive HP consumption or a state of insufficient HP.
Simply put, the closer a Berserker gets to death, the stronger they become. It is both an innate trait and a defining characteristic.
Sanghyeon believed that adding aggression rather than stability was the right choice, even from a mid-to-long-term perspective.
He is closer to inflicting status ailments on opponents and cramming in damage rather than relying on defense .
Therefore, a direction that amplifies damage fits the flow. Stability is a concept that runs counter to this.
“Please proceed. I have plenty of funds.”
Sanghyeon estimated the price of the Berserk Charm at 625 billion won. This is because it is a Legendary-grade artifact.
If he had absolutely no worries about money, he would have absorbed it into Ashneri without hesitation, but he is not at that level yet.
In any case, as long as he had the Berserk Charm, a talisman artifact, it seemed he would not need to make any major expenditures for the time being.
<Then I will head straight to the United States.> "The transaction cannot proceed without my presence." >
"Understood."
< "I'll be there soon! Please wait. I will let you know the detailed arrival schedule through Yeon-i." >
"Then I'll see you soon."
The call ended.
He could sense that Han Hyeon-jeong seemed more anxious than usual. She
seemed to be in a huge rush? Sang-hyun tilted his head at her demeanor, which was the opposite of her usual relaxed self.
Was something else going on?
* * *
After getting sufficient rest, Sang-hyun rented a nearby training ground and proceeded with additional recovery training.
It wasn't a long battle, but the aftermath of the fierce fight with Ashtaros was still lingering.
The term "recovery training" might sound strange, but in fact, it was the most important training for the player.
This is because fatigue and pressure do not simply dissipate by lying in bed and sleeping mindlessly.
In his previous life, he grasped this concept late, but in this regressed life, he was diligently taking care of it from the very beginning.
During the training,
Sanghyeon reorganized his thoughts regarding the two perks that were still on hold.
First was Enlightenment, one of the effects equipped on the Nameless Sword.
This ability raises the skill level to the maximum of 20, limited to skills that utilize the 'sword.'
Perhaps because it is an effect that skyrockets the value of skills so dramatically, it was paradoxically difficult to make up his mind. He
kept telling himself, "I'll use it if I need it," but it was essentially sitting on the ground like aged kimchi.
"Skill Enhancement first."
So, he decided to use the Skill Enhancement Chance first, as his thoughts had become clearer.
The Skill Enhancement he had obtained upon reaching Level 300. The skill enhancements obtained at levels 100 and 200 proved quite useful.
Sanghyeon repeatedly scrolled various skills onto and off the skill enhancement window.
This was because he could see the expected changes simply by placing them on the window, even without actually enhancing them.
As he examined the listed skills one by one, a skill that seemed to have good synergy emerged.
『Grab of Vampire』
■ Skill Level: Stage 2 (13.3%)
■ Applying all titles and associated effects, recovers 2% of maximum HP for every monster defeated.
Additionally, if 100 seconds pass in a non-combat state without using mana, HP is recovered at a rate of 1 per second.
It was a passive skill.
It was a case where the skill originally known as Blood Transfusion had been enhanced once, specifically to the point of being called Grasp of Vampire.
Upon a second enhancement, the skill name changes to Grasp of Restraint, and the added options were quite good.
It was an upgrade that could significantly fill the gaps he had felt while clearing the Ashutaros Dungeon.
