Tae-oh reappeared in the empty subway tunnel, the high from his perfect Gate clear fading into the chilling reality of his circumstances. The scent of ozone and gargoyle dust was already being replaced by the stale, damp air of the sewers.
He had 174 VP. Enough for a huge power leap. He opened the System Shop, ignoring the temporary excitement of flashy attack skills.
Lee Ji-hoon knows my weaknesses. He'll predict my attacks. I can't outmatch his S-Rank power, but I can outlast his hatred.
He selected the passive skill that promised endurance.
[Skill: B-Rank Hyper-Regeneration (Passive) - 150 VP]: Significantly accelerates cellular repair and mana recovery. Reduces cooldowns on all replicated skills by 10%.
"Buy Hyper-Regeneration," Tae-oh commanded.
[Purchase Complete! B-Rank Hyper-Regeneration Acquired!]
[Virtue Points (VP): 24]
[System Alert: Activating passive skill. Healing fatal kidney wound (100% completion in 6 hours).]
A searing, golden heat—the first heroic-feeling power he'd acquired—flooded his body, sealing the wound that had nearly killed him. The pain receded into a manageable throb.
Tae-oh pressed his hand against his side, a smirk playing on his lips. "Perfect. I heal like a hero now, so I can cause trouble like a villain."
His next problem was obtaining high-rank skills to replicate. C-Rank skills were easy, but the jump to A-Rank or S-Rank required him to observe an Elite or Legend in action.
He remembered a minor detail from the original novel: the Black Market Nexus. It was a mobile, illicit trading hub run by a secretive group called the Shadow Traders, specializing in stolen artifacts and restricted Gate data.
Tae-oh used his replicated Gravity Field skill to crush and compress the gargoyle core he'd stolen into a tiny, dense orb. It was his currency.
He activated his encrypted tablet and accessed a deep-web forum, dropping a coded message: C-Rank core for A-Rank data trade. Location: Undocumented.
The response was instantaneous and unnerving.
The price is not cores, Shadow-Rank. The price is information. We want data on the "Architect's Ascent."Meet us at the Old Yongsan Shipyard. Midnight.
Tae-oh froze. Architect's Ascent? That's a term for the SS Rank power path! Someone was watching the highest echelons of the power hierarchy.
He checked the time. He had five hours. He quickly used his remaining 24 VP on purchasing [Novice Surveillance Gear] from the Virtue Shop—miniature cameras and communication jammers. He was going into a meeting with genuine villains, and his salaryman instincts told him to never trust a hostile counterparty.
As he prepared, he ran a quick Flaw Replication test on his new Hyper-Regeneration skill.
[Flaw Replication Activated! Target: B-Rank Hyper-Regeneration (Self).]
[Flaw Identified: Energy source inefficiency (Uses 5% more mana than necessary). Replication Initiated.]
A wave of black mana washed over him. The regeneration was instantly 5% more efficient. He wasn't just stealing skills anymore; he was improving his own recovery—an entirely new dimension of power.
I am a synthetic powerhouse, Tae-oh realized. I can now out-heal and out-optimize anyone below Legend Rank.
With his defenses assured, Tae-oh activated Shadow Glide and vanished into the city night, heading towards the rendezvous, prepared to encounter the first true villainous faction of his new life.