Using Special Privileges 4
How much time had passed?
"..."
When I barely opened my eyes, I saw the summoning room with ashen bricks. Fortunately, it seemed that the time for the rite of passage had not yet arrived. If I closed my eyes again, I felt I would fall into a deep sleep, so I reluctantly lifted my head into the air.
As expected, messages floated in the air, waiting to be checked. Even lying down, I could see them without much trouble. Resting my head back on the ground, I began to read them.
[ Message ]
• You've suffered a tremendous shock that your body cannot handle. Your stamina has permanently decreased by 10 points.
• Congratulations! You have burned away all the waste and impurities inside your body. Your vitality has increased, and the flow of your magic has become even stronger. Your stamina has permanently increased by 2 points, and your magic by 6 points.
• Eternal Flame. A fire spirit has settled in your heart. Your synchronization rate with the fire spirit is currently 100%.
Reading these one by one, I was shocked as if cold water had been splashed on me when I saw the message about my stamina dropping. As I continued to read the messages, biting my lip, Seraph's voice came into my ear.
"Kim Soo-hyun, are you conscious? How is your body? Kim Soo-hyun!"
At least my hearing had recovered. As I was about to retort that she should already know my condition from my expression, I tried to speak but only made a hissing sound.
'What... what's going on? Why am I only making hissing sounds?'
No voice came out. Or rather, a voice did come out, but it was only a hoarse whisper. My throat was completely gone. Despite my frustration, I couldn't produce more than a faint hissing sound.
'I would have to wait until my whole body recovered.'
With a deep sigh, I called up my user information screen. I planned to go over the information mixed with the special abilities until I recovered to some extent.
- - - - -
[ Player Status ]
• Name: Kim Soo-hyun (0 years)
• Class: Sword Specialist (Secret, Master)
• Nation: -
• Clan: -
• Title: Those who need to prove eligibility, Prospective player
• Nationality: Republic of South Korea
• Sex: Male (23)
• Height & Weight: 181.5cm • 75.5kg
• Alignment: Lawful Chaos
(Pre-Changes) [Strength 94] [Endurance 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 78] [Magic 90] [Luck 88]
(Post-Changes) [Strength 94] [Endurance 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 70] [Magic 96] [Luck 88]
[ Achievements (0) ]
[ Unique Abilities (1/1) ]
1. The Third Eye (Rank: S Zero)
(Description: An unconventional third eye beyond the usual concept of vision. It can be described as an 'invisible eye' linked to one's intuition. It can perceive all phenomena occurring in the present with high-level insight. Although it can theoretically observe events beyond the present, it was forcibly manifested by an unknown force, resulting in a rank decrease of two levels. However, due to the influence of the fire spirit imbued with pure fire energy, the rank was increased by one level. In essence, nothing in the current reality can escape Kim Soo-hyun's eyes.)
[ Special Abilities (1/1) ]
1. Divine Sword Unity (Rank: Extra)
A person who has reached the highest level of swordsmanship becomes one with the sword. While wielding the sword, they receive positive additional benefits for all actions. Although the user has not yet reached the highest level of swordsmanship, they receive a two-rank bonus due to years of experience and numerous achievements.
[ Potential Abilities (4/4) ]
1. Master of Close Combat (Rank: A Plus)
(Description: An ability surpassing the ultimate limit for someone who handles melee weapons. At this level, one can be considered to have reached the pinnacle of human capability. In close combat, they will never be overpowered. The user has received a one-rank bonus due to years of experience and professional adjustment.)
2. Indomitable (Rank: A Plus)
(Description: Unwilling to give up the fight. Refuses to accept defeat. This resolve enables continued combat even when gravely injured. While it's possible to fight even with severe injuries, combat effectiveness decreases accordingly.)
3. Clear Sight (Rank: A Plus)
(Description: The ability to see the true nature of things, not just their appearance. It refers to the power of insight that allows one to observe and sense things or phenomena similar to this effect. A mind disciplined to the extreme can maintain calm under mental corruption spells below S-rank.)
4. Blessing of the Battlefield (Rank: Extra)
(Description: Athena, the goddess of war who safeguards peace, bestows a blessing that activates only on the battlefield. The blessed user gains a wide field of view, allowing them to identify the location of allies in danger. The blessing also reduces damage from magical events, even when activated outside of battle. This reduction applies according to the rank of the ability and the user's luck.)
- - - - -
Upon reading the entire player status, I felt a mix of admiration and regret. The abilities "Master of Close Combat" and "Indomitable," which I randomly obtained, were beyond my control. However, they were not bad abilities, and the ranks were decent. Most importantly, they were abilities I had used before, so they were familiar.
The only unexpected issue was the decrease in stamina. Stamina is a critical attribute that supports all other stats.
With a stamina of 70 points, I could still exert the intended output, but the fact that it was supported by only 70 points was concerning. It's like having a car with excellent design specifications but with a highly unstable engine durability. If the engine overheats, there's a risk of damage or explosion. Thus, the predictions made by Seraph and myself were both partially correct.
Though my mind was preoccupied with concerns about stamina, there was no immediate solution. It was something that would take time to resolve. I needed to gather as many points as possible to secure a buffer.
'Even though it's only 0 years, I summoned a 10-year-old body... It's unlikely to improve through training.'
Since it wasn't something I could resolve right now, I decided to push these thoughts aside and focus on recovering my body. Seraph's gaze was growing increasingly piercing. Considering my current abilities, it might be greedy to wish for more.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
How much time had passed? About 20 minutes, but I wanted to know the exact time. Although Seraph would handle it, we hadn't spoken since receiving the special abilities. The conversation had stopped. Feeling resigned, I closed my eyes.
As time passed, I felt my body cooling down. Not dying, but cooling down as the heat from the fire spirit dissipated. As the intense heat inside me subsided, my senses seemed to return to normal.
I had reviewed all the player status information. For the remaining time, I quietly observed my internal state.
Indeed, there were drawbacks. However, I had survived, so the plan was successful. And the rewards for overcoming this challenge were enormous. The waste and impurities spread throughout my body had been completely removed, and the blocked meridians were all cleared.
Not only that, even the tiny energy channels at the tips of my fingers and toes, which had previously been unreachable by magic flow, were now open. My vitality was circulating faster than before, and the flow and efficiency of my magic had greatly improved. Considering that even a slight difference can determine victory in battle, it was like I had several trump cards up my sleeve.
"Huuh."
As I felt the sensation returning to my body, I directed my magic throughout my limbs. It flowed smoothly down to my fingertips and toes. Feeling confident, I gently moved my right arm and noticed that my body felt much lighter than before. Though my joints still ached, it was a vast improvement compared to when my entire body had been numb.
Finally, I lifted my body with a grunt and looked directly at Seraph. She, too, seemed indifferent, maintaining a serene gaze as she quietly watched me. Though my clothes were now in tatters, I didn't feel embarrassed. After all, the being before me wasn't a woman but an angel.
With a shrug, I tapped my left wrist lightly with my right hand, indicating that I wanted to know the time.
"It's time to enter the rite of passage. Please prepare yourself."
Seraph's voice was cold and dry, clearly irritated. In that moment, the image of her anxiously pacing around me earlier flashed through my mind.
'...'
I decided to leave it at that. I didn't want to get into an unnecessary argument. After all, I had obtained everything I could from this situation.
"Ready. Send me."
"Kim Soo-hyun, are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"...Then I'll send you immediately. Since time is tight, I advise you to act quickly once you're in the preparation room."
"Yeah, yeah," I replied dismissively, causing Seraph to furrow her brow slightly. She then lightly snapped her slender fingers.
Snap!
As the sound of her fingers snapping echoed, my body started to fade. It felt like I was being erased with an eraser.
"One piece of advice: never let your guard down. I hope you successfully pass the rite of passage and that we meet again. Best of luck, Kim Soo-hyun."
"Seraph, please refrain from giving unsolicited advice next time"
I retorted, slightly irked.
A familiar mechanical sound reached my ears. Looking down, I noticed that my body was already more than two-thirds translucent, as if being erased from existence. Observing this, I calmly closed my eyes.
This was a restart after 10 years. A new future awaited me now, a future I would carve out myself, where no one would be lost and no one would despair. Just thinking about it filled me with an inexplicable sense of exhilaration.