< Episode 12. First-Person Protagonist Perspective (2) >
[Regeneration of the body begins.]
Like spilled paint spreading, my vision gradually cleared. The contrast and saturation of the surroundings were blurry. Bones, capillaries, digestive and respiratory organs, eyes—all regenerating entirely. The sensations, not yet in place, twisted together in chaotic confusion.
Anyway, Chungmuro was safe now that Yoo Joong-hyuk had stepped in.
No matter how strong the were, they couldn't possibly defeat Yoo Jung-hyuk, who had grown stronger than his original 3rd run.
Still… it had been a truly unique experience.
Experiencing life as Yoo Joong-hyuk from a first-person perspective.
If possible, I never want to do that again.
[Exclusive skill, "Fourth Wall" offsets the mental trauma caused by death.]
[Reward for using Omniscient Reader Perspective Level 3 is being prepared.]
…Reward for use?
I saw Jeong Hee-won shouting from afar, and beside her, Lee Hyun-sung's face frozen in shock. Jeong Min-seop and Lee Sung-guk were also staring, stunned.
Fortunately, everyone in my party was unharmed.
It wasn't too late.
"Reader!"
She forgot she had to hide my name and shouted.
Gyaoooooo!
Well, there's no need to hide it anymore.
Huuuuuuh.
Air filled the newly formed lungs.
Nearby, the lesser dragon was still continuing its merciless slaughter.
"As expected of Yoo Joong-hyuk!"
"Did you use some sort of miracle revival?"
Of all the prophets, only a tiny fraction had survived.
Of course, I hadn't used anything like a "miracle revival."
Recovering from serious wounds and resurrecting from death were completely different things.
[The bonus of "King of No Killing" has been completed.]
[100 Karma Points have been consumed.]
[All waste in the body is expelled, and physical performance increases.]
[Health and Mana levels each increase by 1.]
On top of that, the resurrection bonus.
This is why "King of No Killing" is broken.
Even in all of Omniscient Murder Law, the only person besides me to obtain this trait was Selena Kim from the U.S.
[Current Karma Points: 0/100]
[Accumulate points for the next resurrection.]
[Gain 1 Karma Point each time you save the life of a comrade.]
The special bonus of "King of No Killing" is resurrection.
Of course, resurrection isn't unconditional—you need Karma Points.
Fortunately, the first resurrection provides 100 points, so I was able to start safely.
Gyaoooooo!
[5th-grade Fire Dragon, Lesser Dragon Ignir uses "Flames of Destruction."]
I couldn't just die immediately after resurrecting.
Since my points were now zero, I couldn't use the resurrection bonus for a while.
The nearest visible platform had the number "2" marked on it.
Everyone else had already taken their positions on their respective platforms.
"Hyun-sung, go over there! We'll take the adjacent platform!"
Thanks to Jeong Hee-won's quick decision, Lee Hyun-sung ran toward me frantically.
Sweating profusely in the intense heat, he spoke.
"Reader, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, as you can see."
"…I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."
Even if I asked how this was possible, there was no time for a detailed explanation.
[Activating Absolute Shield.]
The "Flames of Destruction" split before my eyes with a sizzle.
I looked at Lee Hyun-sung, who stared at me as if he had seen Christ himself, and asked,
"Hyun-sung, do you have anything to cover me with? A poncho… or something?"
"I may be a soldier, but I don't have—ah."
He quickly realized the situation and scanned my body.
Resurrected, yes—but I had overlooked one thing.
My [External Reinforced Suit], which had provided protection, had melted. Most of the miscellaneous items I had collected were gone.
In other words, I was naked.
"…Never mind that."
Lee Hyun-sung's hand instinctively went to his waist, then retreated.
Even the most selfless person has limits.
What mattered now wasn't clothes—it was the dropped items.
Even the "Flames of Destruction" couldn't melt [Sacred Relics] or the key items of the scenario.
In fact, [Unbreakable Conviction] was still rolling near the Lesser Dragon's feet, and the scenario item [Brown Flag] was lying nearby as well.
Fortunately, it was in a spot not easily reached by others.
As soon as the shield deactivated, the party started running toward me from afar.
Jeong Hee-won led the way.
"Reader!"
Her expression hardened as she ran toward me.
[Constellation, "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" silently observes your Black Flame Dragon.]
As I subtly turned my back to avoid her gaze, I felt a light touch cover my shoulders and back.
"Don't worry. I didn't see anything. Isn't now the time to focus on that?"
At the words "that," I flinched instinctively.
A poncho-like covering had been draped over me.
On closer inspection, it was a mat.
[Mat of the Great Monk.]
Ah, that's right—Jeong Hee-won had brought this.
"Thank you, Jeong Hee-won."
Right now, this was better than nothing.
[Constellation, "Bald Militant Commander" feels slightly disappointed.]
"Let's move."
Gyaoooooo!
The Lesser Dragon Ignir began its fire-breathing phase.
We dodged its attacks again, moving counterclockwise.
Jeong Hee-won and Lee Hyun-sung ran ahead of me.
It seemed they had been careful about the dangling Black Flame Dragon near my lower body.
The mat was shabby and didn't fully cover my front.
Jeong Min-seop, running thoughtlessly beside me, asked,
"What do we do now, Leader? All the other are dead…"
Indeed, there were no left.
The evidence: the consumed Ice Pills were left behind at the spots where they fell, rolling like beads. Their long digestion time and heat-resistant properties had prevented them from melting.
Swoosh!
The Lesser Dragon's front paw sliced through the air.
"Kyaaah!"
Two of the prophets chasing our party were crushed like pieces of meat.
I immediately dashed across the center of the platform and grabbed the flag and [Unbreakable Conviction].
[You have recovered the 'Brown Flag'.]
[The blessing of the flag can be used again.]
Looking around, it was now just our party remaining.
While I was thinking of strategies, the platform activation time was already approaching.
[Numbered platforms are being activated!]
"Everyone, gather!"
Fortunately, the platform marked with the number '5' had been activated.
The problem was that only one platform had been activated this time.
A voice of a mid-tier goblin echoed from the void.
[Hehe, you're still holding on well. But will luck continue to favor you?]
Next time, the number that appears on this platform might be 3 or 4.
If that happens, someone in our party is guaranteed to die.
And if it's 6…
[5th-grade Fire Dragon, Lesser Dragon Ignir uses "Flames of Destruction".]
[Activating Absolute Shield.]
I barely bought another 10 seconds.
This had to be the last time.
"Huu… that damn bastard. Reader, what should we do?"
Lee Hyun-sung and Jeong Hee-won looked exhausted. It was natural—they had been running for more than ten minutes in the suffocating heat.
"We'll have to fight."
"You said we couldn't defeat it before."
"If we have this, it's not impossible."
I pointed to the Ice Pills scattered across the floor.
Luckily, the number of Ice Pills matched our party—exactly five.
If we consumed these items prepared by the , it would not be impossible to deal damage to the Lesser Dragon.
The real problem was whether we could kill it before the next "full attack" phase began.
[Absolute Shield deactivated.]
"Run! And pick up everything on the floor as you go!"
At my command, the party sprang into action.
[4100 mana coins have been invested.]
[Mana Lv.16 -> Mana Lv.25]
[Your soul resonates with the world!]
To deal burst damage in the remaining time, raising mana was more important than raw strength.
I gulped down one of the Ice Pills I had picked up.
[Cold attribute temporarily unlocked.]
[40% cold damage bonus applied.]
Now, all that remained was to deal damage.
But how?
Rushing in blindly had its limits.
Lee Hyun-sung had [Mountain-Splitting Strike] but lacked agility, while Jeong Hee-won was fast but didn't have enough power in a single strike.
It would be ideal to hit its weak points.
Could I see them with [Omniscient Reader Perspective]?
Ah, right…
[Exclusive skill, "Omniscient Reader Perspective" is already active.]
[Reward for Omniscient Reader Perspective Level 3 is available.]
Earlier, it said there was a "usage reward."
[You have experienced the 'First-Person Protagonist Perspective'.]
[You can inherit one skill used by the protagonist you were immersed in.]
…What?
I was so startled that I didn't even notice the Lesser Dragon's front paw swooping down.
Quick-thinking Jeong Hee-won shoved me aside, and the spot I had been standing on collapsed.
Boom!
"What are you spacing out for!"
Her scolding reached me, but I had no time to answer.
I could inherit one of the protagonist's skills I had been immersed in.
This meant I could take one of Yoo Joong-hyuk's skills.
[Select a skill to acquire.]
Oh ho, even choices?
Now, after consuming the Ice Pill, if I could take just one of Yoo Joong-hyuk's skills…
Even something like Self-Defense Mastery or Sky-Splitting Sword would be enough…!
[Select the skill to acquire.]
Cold Resistance
Fire Resistance
False Perception
Damn it, of course.
The options were limited. The most appealing was 'False Perception,' but it was useless in the current situation.
The most useful skill right now would be number 2, 'Fire Resistance.'
Rooooaar!
The roaring Lesser Dragon was scattering fire. After this, the "Flames of Destruction" phase would begin.
Think.
I am the Reader.
The answer is in what I've read.
[Special trait effect: Memory of previously read content has increased!]
Pages rapidly flipped through my mind.
Weak points of the Lesser Dragon.
Information from the 12th, 14th, and 17th runs.
And the resources I had now.
"Reader, hurry…!"
I slowly opened and closed my eyes.
And…
"I will acquire Cold Resistance."
Decision made.
[Skill 'Cold Resistance' is now usable.]
I looked back at the party and shouted,
"Jeong Hee-won, Lee Hyun-sung! You haven't eaten the Ice Pills yet, right? Give them all to me."
"Eh?"
"Lee Sung-guk, Jeong Min-seop! You too!"
Jeong Min-seop's mouth puckered as he was about to pop an Ice Pill into his mouth.
"Hurry!"
"Ah, all four!"
The four Ice Pills quickly gathered.
Dodging the pouring flames, I simultaneously popped them all into my mouth.
I was certain.
This was the best option.
[Ice Pills consumed.]
[Attribute stacking effect increases the elemental damage of Ice Pills!]
[200% additional cold elemental damage applied.]
[A chilling cold, as if freezing the heart itself, spreads across your entire body.]
Under normal circumstances, this was something I should never have done.
Despite their name suggesting an elixir, Ice Pills were essentially a type of poison.
Even one would induce chills as if standing naked in midwinter; five would normally cause instant death on the spot.
But that's only under normal circumstances.
[Exclusive skill, 'Cold Resistance Lv.5' protects you.]
It seemed I had inherited some of Yoo Joong-hyuk's mastery—my skill level started at 5.
"Everyone, fall back behind me!"
I shouted to my party while gripping the hilt of my sword.
Perhaps because of my memory of being Yoo Joong-hyuk, the feel of holding the sword was subtly different.
['Blade of Conviction' activated!]
Vrrrrriing!
[Special option of 'Unbreakable Conviction' activated.]
[Aether attribute is converted to 'Darkness'.]
[Cold attribute added to Aether from the effect of Ice Pills.]
The Aether Blade glowed a deep bluish hue—layered cold and darkness.
Shing!
The blade of deep blue Aether began cutting through the flames. I unleashed all my strength and charged at the Lesser Dragon.
From here on, it was total war.
[Stigmata, 'Song of the Sword' activated.]
[Verses left by Admiral Chungmu randomly imbue your sword.]
Depending on the verses that appear, different buffs are applied.
Please, let no strange verse appear.
"In the dead of night, the deity appeared in a dream and said, 'Do this and you shall greatly triumph; do that and you shall fail.'"
What kind of verse was that? Suddenly, different parts of the Lesser Dragon's body started glowing in different colors. Most of its body was green, but certain parts appeared distinctly red.
[Constellation, 'Naval Combat Spirit' supports your battle.]
Only then did I understand Admiral Chungmu's intention.
I see.
Those red spots were its weak points.
I sprinted along the burning path and swung my sword toward the dragon's wing joints.
The first was a faint red.
Raaah!
I slipped under its struggling wing and cut the Achilles tendon of its hind leg.
The second was a deep red.
Kyaaah!
Dodging its tail, I leapt up just as its front paw came swinging at me.
Pwah!
[The effect of the 'Brown Flag' activates a shield.]
The flames couldn't be blocked, but it could withstand a few ordinary attacks.
I dived into the roaring beast and plunged my sword in.
Shove!
Its chest was a nearly blood-red hue.
Kyaaah!
The Lesser Dragon thrashed violently.
The shield from the Brown Flag was instantly destroyed, and flames began converging in its mouth.
[5th-grade Fire Dragon, Lesser Dragon Ignir prepares 'Flames of Destruction'.]
The full attack phase had finally begun.
Now, there was no shield.
Vrrrrriing!
All my mana surged into the elongated Aether Blade, raking across its chest.
Swing, swing, swing.
Explosive cold damage detonated across its chest.
Pfbrrk, pfbrrk!
But the dragon still did not fall.
Kyaaah!
Just a bit more.
Kyaaah!
Just a little…
[5th-grade Fire Dragon, Lesser Dragon Ignir uses 'Flames of Destruction'.]
Flames surged before my eyes.
One hit and it would be death.
I could hear the shouts of my party from afar.
Even hearing them, I did not retreat; I kept swinging my sword.
I could do this.
My calculations could not be wrong.
In other words, this was the Reader's determination.
If I were Yoo Joong-hyuk…
The sword swings flowed in a trance-like rhythm, sharp precision embedded within.
Vrrrrriing!
The invisible, silent strike of Yoo Joong-hyuk… that almost magical move etched itself firmly in my mind.
I gripped the hilt with every ounce of strength.
Summoning all my senses, I tried to replicate the sensation of that instant.
At least once.
Even if it was just a fragment of that 'one strike'.
Gyaoooooo!
The sword moved, and I heard something explode.
The sound of flesh tearing.
Before my eyes, the Lesser Dragon's blood sprayed, and my body was flung through the air by the impact.
I rolled across the scalding dusty floor several times, vomiting the congestion I had been holding back.
Shaking my head to regain vision,
I staggered to my feet.
The dragon's eyes met mine.
Startled, my body trembled.
Pssshh.
The raging 'Flames of Destruction' quietly died down.
The massive creature's eyelids twitched once, and its enormous body slowly toppled backward.
Boom!
The Blade of Conviction remained lodged in its heart, silently singing.
[Material Calamity 'Lesser Dragon Ignir' defeated for the first time.]
[Contributed to the first clear of the Fifth Scenario.]
[Achieved an Impossible Achievement.]
Exhaustion slowly drained from my body. I had no strength left even to clench my fists. Gasping for breath, I collapsed onto the ground.
It had been a reckless challenge.
This time, I had truly come close to death.
[Reward calculation will take some time due to the achievement of an Impossible Achievement.]
[Some low-level goblins have requested a "Plausibility Judgment" from the Management Bureau.]
A mid-tier goblin, appearing in the void, silently stared me down.
Anyway, now it was time for the sweet rewards.