Max Talent Player

The Italian info merchant, Pietro, was very busy these days.

That was natural, considering all the new culture popping up day after day, plus the constant influx of dungeon and gate information. As a dealer of information, of course he was busy. His info guild, the Black Butterfly, had branches all over the world, all operating unobtrusively under the radar despite their far reach.

Of their many branches, the one Pietro considered most important was the Korean branch. That was because Kim Hyukjin was there.

“Kim Hyukjin coincidentally went to the same place as Song Junghe?”

Pietro had a rough understanding of the relationship between the two—he had been there when Hyukjin had obtained the Immortal Fleet that, had things gone differently, may have very well become Song Junghye’s.

Not long afterwards, Pietro got an update.

“Song Junghye has returned to Korea…?”

It just so happened that a part of the Michelle Division returned to the US at around the same time, and they were coming back from Japan. Pietro put the puzzle pieces together.

‘They’re definitely connected.’

Pietro was one of the few people who knew what Michelle thought of Kim Hyukjin.

The playwright here was Kim Hyukjin, which meant he was also the person who mobilized the Michelle Division.

“Should I try digging up the conversation between Kim Hyukjin and Michelle?”

“No, it’s fine.”

There was no need to wake a sleeping wolf. The person in question was too much of a behemoth. Unbeknownst to the world, the true giant of Korea was Kim Hyukjin.

‘I can get answers from Michelle directly.’

He decided to keep things at that. He would stop at procuring the list of Players Hyukjin commissioned—they might become rising stars in the future.

“That aside, you said Schultz wanted to see me?”

The German archer/sovereign had contacted him for the first time since the Dewinged Angel Statue Gate.

“Yes. He insists on meeting in person.”

“Put him at priority level 2 and arrange a meeting.”

He wasn’t priority level 1. Schultz was an amazing Player, but he didn’t have remarkable information value.

“He said it’s related to Kim Hyukjin.”

“Ask him if he has time today.”

Six hours later, Schultz and Pietro sat down together.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has.” Schultz smiled. “When I was just asking for a meeting, it felt like a lot of middlemen were getting in the way. But as soon as I mentioned Kim Hyukjin, I was ushered right in.”

“I didn’t know that. Those foolish middlemen must be ignorant of your renown.”

Schultz laughed hollowly. He wasn’t really a fan of honeyed flattery. Both of them were well aware that it was lip service anyway. He went straight to the point.

“Do you know a person named Itachi?”

“He’s a famous Japanese astrologist.”

“As I thought, you know him.”

At the end of the day, Schultz was a German Ranker. He might not have the highest information value, but a Ranker was a Ranker. Since they were already in a meeting together, Pietro had to show this Ranker the might of the Black Butterfly. For an info guild, info was essentially power and trust.

“Recently, Itachi met the Precognitive Dreamer Ham Sohyun. He has also come in contact with Kim Hyukjin.”

“When was that?”

“Around January 2019. When the Red Devils appeared in Korea.”

“I met Itachi before that.”

Pietro’s eyes narrowed. He had heard that Itachi didn’t like going overseas, so this information gave him pause.

And in truth, before Kim Hyukjin regressed, Itachi was known to have never gone overseas, not even once. He was reclusive by nature. But not only had he gone to Korea, he had even flown across the world to Germany.

“What does that have to do with you wanting to see me?”

“I wanted to ask if you knew anything about the [Immortal Fleet].”

Pietro simply stared silently at Schultz, his face impassive. Inwardly, he was relieved that he had caught his poker face from slipping. How would he not know? He had been there when the Immortal Fleet was acquired.

“Not yet, though I have gotten a few hints about it.”

“Even if they’re just hints, I’d appreciate it if you would tell me what you know.”

“Why?”

Pietro tensed a little. This definitely had to do with Kim Hyukjin.

Schultz began to speak.

* * *

* * *

[The ‘Herdsman of Las Vegas’ proposes a bet.]

Hyukjin mulled in thought for a moment.

‘He’ll propose a bet that we can just barely handle.’

Like always, the bets proposed by the Herdsman of Las Vegas were difficult. However, as long as you could pull them off and win, a hefty reward would follow.

‘That was why Michelle was able to flourish into an American Ranker.’

To put it frankly, Michelle’s innate talent plates weren’t that amazing. 58 talent plates was on the low side for a top Ranker. The fact she was able to achieve such fantastic success as a Player regardless was because she had continually secured big sponsorships from the Herdsman of Las Vegas.

‘If Michelle could do it…’

Hyukjin was confident.

‘I can, too.’

What Michelle could do, he could do as well. However, he wasn’t alone right now. The members of his guild were here as well. Overreaching might end up getting his guild members hurt, or even worse, killed.

‘The Herdsman of Las Vegas.’

He carefully considered and dissected the Guardian’s personality. If Hyukjin refused the bet, the Guardian would be slightly disappointed, but he wouldn’t turn hostile with a single refusal.

‘I can get him even more excited.’

Hyukjin knew a method to do that, a method that would simultaneously ensure the safety of his guildmates. A method that would make the Herdsman of Las Vegas even happier.

“I accept the bet proposed by the Herdsman of Las Vegas.”

He intentionally didn’t check the conditions of the bet. It was a blind gamble, a play the Herdsman of Las Vegas really enjoyed.

But Hyukjin didn’t stop there.

“In addition…”

Senia’s wings fluttered.

‘Player Kim Hyukjin can’t be…’

Her premonition came true.

“May I make a counter proposal?”

“Player Kim Hyukjin. You’re stepping out of line,” Senia warned, as if trying to dissuade him. But both Senia and Hyukjin knew this was all just acting. Senia was pretending to dissuade him, intending to push the Herdsman of Las Vegas a little more.

A message quickly arrived.

[The ‘Herdsman of Las Vegas’ feels great interest in your counter proposal.]

Hook, line, and sinker.

‘Yes, he wouldn’t be the Herdsman of Las Vegas otherwise.’

Some Guardians viewed counter proposals from Players with great displeasure. Lowly humans dared to make a counter proposal to a Guardian? There were definitely Guardians like that, but the Herdsman of Las Vegas was different. He liked these kinds of Plays.

[The ‘Herdsman of Las Vegas’ asks what your counter proposal is.]

Hyukjin presented his idea.

“Sovereign soloing. Don’t you want to see it?”

At those words, Yeonseo nearly jumped up in alarm.

‘What did he say?’ she thought in horror, looking towards the sea.

She had seen the Krakens earlier. Without the Immortal Fleet, hunting them would have been near-impossible. But this time, the opponent was a King Kraken.

The power billowing from the monster she could sense lurking within the distant whirlpool was far from ordinary. But Hyukjin wanted to hunt it alone? It was ridiculous.

She also knew that her guildmaster didn’t want to put them in danger. However, she didn’t say it aloud.

‘That being said.’ Yeonseo clenched her fists. ‘He’s also sure he can hunt the King Kraken alone.’

In other words, she was currently nothing more than an assistant to Kim Hyukjin. The person himself had never thought of her in that way, but that was how she felt. The feeling gave rise to an urge within her.

‘Looks like I’m getting some motivation again today.’

Every time she started getting a bit complacent, Hyukjin would give her another push. Whenever she looked at Hyukjin, she was filled with an urge to work hard today, tomorrow, and every day after that.

Hyukjin heard a notice.

[The ‘Herdsman of Las Vegas’ accepts your counter proposal.]

The Guardian flashed the green light. The risk would be greater, but so would the return. It was literally high risk, high return.

A different message came in.

[The ‘Barrier of Blue Light’ asks that you abstain from excessive confidence.]

[The ‘Barrier of Blue Light’ gifts a ‘Memory Capsule’.]

This worrywart, the Guardian who was so keen on protecting Hyukjin, gifted him a Memory Capsule. He smiled. He honestly hadn’t expected the Barrier of Blue Light to step forward here, but it was a welcome change. The scales tipped a little more in his favor.

‘To put it another way, it must mean the King Kraken is a foe dangerous enough to make the Barrier of Blue Light anxious.’

If he didn’t know the strat, there was no way he would have challenged it.

“I’ll be hunting the King Kraken on my own,” Hyukjin said.

The Giantgod guild members were silent. After a pause, Sunghyun spoke up first.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” There were traces of anger on his face. “Why do you have to carry the burden alone?”

“I’m not carrying the burden alone.”

He saw Sunghyun’s summary.

Summary: Younger Sibling Worrying About his Hyung and Hating Himself

Hyukjin glanced around and saw that everyone was harboring similar thoughts. Their feelings were clear to him.

“It’s not that you guys are unnecessary, or that I’m doing this to protect you. It’s just that I want to secure a bigger reward by making a counter proposal.”

“I know that. But you can’t deny that our safety isn’t implied in that counter proposal.” He bit his lips. “I’m not a child who needs to be protected. I’m a full-fledged member of Giantgod, too.”

“It’s not that I’m looking down on you.”

Sunghyun knew that. He knew Hyukjin hadn’t done this to insult them. Things had simply ended up like this, and he knew why.

“I’ll get stronger.”

Hyukjin didn’t respond. He could feel that everyone was thinking the same thing.

“I’ll get stronger, whatever it takes, and make it so you can’t even think of making a counter proposal like this.”

“Alright, fine. A little motivation doesn’t hurt.”

The brand-new member of Giantgod, Kang Somyi, was somewhat slow to understand the situation.

“You’re really going to solo it? Is that even possible?”

“It is. First, I need to lure him to shallow waters.”

“How are you going to do that?”

Luring the boss all the way to the shore was impossible, but bringing it to slightly shallower waters was doable.

“Somyi, you collected the Iron Rhinoceros Remains earlier, didn’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s in my Inventory.”

“I’ll reel it in with that. If we leave the body on the beach, I predict it’ll come this way. Monsters usually go crazy at the smell of blood.”

The first step was restricting its movements a little by luring it into slightly less deep waters.

“Can you really hunt the King Kraken with just that?”

“No.”

Hyukjin walked to the shore, then used Flash Step towards one of the summoned Immortal Fleet ships. As he did so, he felt the King Kraken surging nearer, and with incredible speed. Hyukjin used Flash Step again, moving to another ship.

Crack!

The ship he had just left was crushed into smithereens by a massive leg of the King Kraken like a giant anaconda constricting its prey. The ship fell apart like a house of cards, with utter ease.

Hyukjin checked the mana consumption. It was within manageable bounds. That moment, he felt a twinge of pain in his eyes, accompanied by a wave of murderous intent.

‘It’s going for me.’

Even without intentionally trying to aggro it, the King Kraken locked its sights on him, clearly recognizing the target moving inside the ship as its enemy. Hyukjin sensed the behemoth’s legs churning in the water.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

The fleet unleashed coordinated fire, the guns blasting away amidst a backdrop of drum beats.

The Barrier of Blue Light sent another warning.

[The ‘Barrier of Blue Light’ advises abandoning the scenario.]

The King Kraken could not be killed by the fleet’s gunfire, a fact Hyukjin was well aware of.

‘I wasn’t planning on killing it like that anyway.’

He drew out the Memory Capsule the Barrier of Blue Light had given him and immediately used it. This was an item that could recreate an item that had already been used. Depending on the user’s timing and luck, it could reproduce the exact same item. If you were unlucky, it could also produce nothing.

[Using the Memory Capsule.]

[Freedom has been created by the Memory Capsule.]

He was going to attempt the clear even without this, but this would make things a little easier. And so, in his own way, a regressor’s way, Hyukjin began his battle with the King Kraken.