NOVEL NEXT Chapter 58
#58
A Stroke of Unexpected Luck (2)
Halli, after parting with the elves, was strutting through the streets of Tarak, as always the center of attention.
‘Having a spirit is incredibly convenient!’
Not only did the wind spirit assist his movement, but the water spirit even helped him wash up.
He looked at his now clean body around him.
It was a service he received from the elves just before moving to Tarak.
Having experienced it first-hand only made his greed grow.
‘But my gear is pretty damaged. I’ll need to get some new ones soon.’
In the midst of this, he spotted the damaged equipment.
The solid black steel axes were chipped, and there were even some cracks.
The necklace made from beast teeth had snapped in battle and was nowhere to be found, and the black panther helmet was completely in tatters.
…That was about it.
He hadn’t worn much gear to begin with.
‘Most of it was just for show. Well, the axe is somewhat usable now.’
Due to the nature of the “Physical Transformation” skill, Halli couldn’t wear equipment tailored to his body, making his current barbarian warrior concept fit him perfectly.
His real weapon was his monster-like physique itself.
Strutting proudly barefoot down the street, he headed towards an ordinary house on one side of the city.
Bang—
Halli burst through what seemed to be his home.
However, the homeowner inside greeted him without surprise.
It was Hubert, the avatar that had been summoned to Tarak after Halli.
“Wahahah—! With “Appraisal,” I can check out the goods right away. How convenient!”
A green light sparkled in his left eye, and the items he was holding flew through the air and naturally landed in Hubert’s hands.
Thanks to the new eye implant, he could finally use “Gem Eye: Telekinesis.”
This was the first time he was using it properly.
Due to Halli’s compatibility, the telekinesis powered by his bio-energy was far more useful than he had expected.
Now he also had the ability for ranged attacks…
‘And I can float my body too. Furthermore, unless you look closely, I just look like a person with heterochromia now.’
As time passed, the gem eye integrated with “Physical Transformation” appeared at first glance like an ordinary green eye.
Of course, a subtle sense of incongruity remained, but that was not a significant issue.
‘In a world where all kinds of races and species live together, no one would dare confront those eyes owning such a scary physique.’
While Halli tested his telekinesis, Hubert jumped right into the appraisal of the goods.
[High Elf Spirit Bracelet]
– A bracelet crafted by a renowned artisan using branches of the World Tree and various spirit stones. It assists the wearer’s natural power and spirit summoning, significantly amplifying elemental affinity and resistance. The previous user’s influence infused the spirit stones with the properties of wind, lightning, and earth.
[Dried Branch of the World Tree]
– Once a part of the World Tree, but now has lost its original function due to excessive use of energy. It seems usable for various materials.
“Hmmm… that’s a bit vague.”
He had considered the branch of the World Tree as a souvenir, so that was secondary, but the bracelet had no clear purpose either.
Of course, Laforey must have offered one of the most valuable possessions he had…
‘The specs seem good, but I have no avatar who can use it.’
It would be the ultimate treasure for a spirit summoner, but unfortunately, he wasn’t one.
Apart from his greed, he had little expectation of becoming a spirit summoner.
Among the returnees to Earth, the numbers of spirit summoners were particularly low.
One’s affinity with nature, an existence vital to nature, would inevitably be affected by their living environment.
If they had lived alongside nature in an undeveloped civilization, or unless they awakened some unique skills related to that field, they shouldn’t expect much.
‘And my avatar is created under the same conditions as my main body.’
Having lived his life in the city, constantly consuming instant food, how much affinity could he have with nature?
‘To amplify’ something, you needed to have something to begin with for it to be efficient.
‘…But who knows?’
Perhaps he might harbor some hidden spirit affinity.
Hubert slipped the bracelet onto his wrist.
Feeling it automatically adjust to fit comfortably, he shut his eyes tightly.
“……”
Focusing on the bracelet on his wrist, he tried to sense the natural energy.
His calm mind brought images of the mountains and seas to the forefront.
“……!”
After what felt like an eternity, Hubert’s eyes popped open.
“Crap, I don’t feel anything at all.”
…But since it was his first attempt, maybe if he kept wearing it, something would change.
After all, he had no one else to use it, so Hubert decided to keep it on.
Halli would likely break it anytime with his battle style.
And he couldn’t just give it to Archlich Hans or Vampire Heinz, could he?
‘Besides, my basic stats are not easily going to drop dead now. At least, Hubert should be able to release it right before being ambushed.’
Still, he’d better keep the hand with the bracelet well-covered.
Once he started a business, there might be all sorts of reasons to be targeted.
‘Speaking of which, that issue seems to have been somewhat resolved this time.’
Soon, Halli’s connection with the Holy Church would be known through the mercenary guild, which would be a huge boon for Hubert, who was aiming to start a business as a partner.
Starting a business in this world required a lot more careful consideration than it did today.
To grow properly, not only capital but also strength and connections were essential.
Thus, he planned to start a business in Tarak, where Halli was active, using his name to block outside interference.
‘But a figure with ties to the church? This is game-breaking.’
If his connection was officially announced in the church’s name, regardless of its size, he would become a figure that couldn’t be easily trifled with.
Anyone daring to interfere with any business he participated in would hesitate even once more.
With Halli reaping some sweet outcomes as a partner, Hubert was already deciding on items to sell in his market research.
‘For starters, I think pepper would be the best choice.’
The largest production area for pepper in Auterica was in the southeastern part of the continent.
Tarak was located in the northwest region, so transportation costs would vary greatly.
‘Although the monster industry is the main focus, there’s a large transient population, including merchants, so it shouldn’t be an issue if the product is top-notch. Plus, there are many branches of the Magic Tower that would likely be the main consumers.’
Plans were all set.
“Ugh, I’m exhausted!”
As Halli crawled into the bedroom inside the house, Hubert gathered the magical equipment and the branch of the World Tree they had acquired.
It was time to head back to Earth.
*
“Hmmm… it’s not bad as a souvenir.”
I plunged the dried branch of the World Tree into a pot containing a dead plant that had been gathering dust at home.
Pouring in a cup of water, perhaps due to the refreshment I imagined, I already felt something invigorating.
‘Well, that’s taken care of. I can prepare trade goods through Heinz for the blood alliance. I can also sell magical equipment through that route.’
Having seized a decent force, I had to use it now, or when else would I?
‘Raising Heterosys is going smoothly, and I should keep an eye on the Brokoslac Clan a little longer.’
Thanks to Heinz’s exploratory activities conducted in bits and pieces, I had managed to gather some information about the vampires of the Talia Kingdom.
With “Concealment” and “Transparency” to hide my body, and “Insight” to gather information…
To my surprise, I discovered they were using a noble’s mansion as their base.
‘That noble might be the clan’s lord.’
I was short on time to fully grasp detailed information.
Heinz’s top priority was to stabilize Heterosys first.
The serious clan takeover operation would happen afterward.
“Hmm, so let’s see…”
Having gone through a significant incident recently, it was time to account for karma.
‘Before I started my activities in Auterica, I think my karma points were just a bit over 300,000.’
Some major events had occurred since then.
Heinrich was appointed as a knight and began working with the church.
Halli was completed in Hans’s secret lab, and he has become a mercenary as a barbarian warrior through hunting monsters and growing.
‘So far, nothing particularly special has happened.’
Most of this time was spent on personal growth, making it hard to say it had a significant impact on the world.
In that case, most of the karma gained from saving Cecily, who was a candidate for the High Elf title…
『Karma Shop』
『Unique Skill Enhancement (800,000)』
『Status Enhancement – View Details』
『Current Karma – 668,189』
‘It’s vague. Is it because Cecily is still a candidate?’
It felt a bit cheap, considering that it involved the Elven Kingdom, High Elf Laforey, and high-profile figures like the saint of the Holy Church.
‘But then again, karma isn’t everything right now.’
As I experienced last time, karma would dynamically increase whenever my influence led to changes in the world.
That means that whenever Cecily officially became a High Elf and achieved something grand, it would also affect my karma.
Others involved this time would likely do the same.
‘It won’t matter much now. After all, an event that can massively increase my karma is prepared soon.’
I regretted not being able to enhance my unique skills for now, but there was no need to rush.
Even at this moment, the fateful moment was drawing near with every passing second.
*
“I apologize for the rude request, Lord Laforey.”
“No need for that. I understand it’s an important matter. Compared to the support received from the church, this is nothing.”
The saint’s continuous apologies filled the air.
To proceed with the task, Laforey had reluctantly accepted the church’s ‘Silence Blessing.’
As a high elf at the top of the Elven Kingdom, this was tantamount to a diplomatic faux pas, but he accepted without any reluctance.
He considered the debt he had incurred with the church this time to be substantial.
Stomp, stomp—
They were currently passing through a complicated corridor on their way to the church’s depths.
The saint, Archbishop Latinus, High Elf Laforey.
And the head Inquisition Officer along with Heinrich, a total of five people.
‘I never thought I would actually be allowed in.’
Of course, it was normal for one who had only just been appointed as a knight not to be allowed entrance.
Even if his holy power was nearly at the archbishop level, one needed to at least be an archbishop to access the fragment of the Undead King.
Because of this, Archbishop Latinus expressed concern again, but Heinrich could hardly raise objections, considering his recent achievements.
He himself was also quite impressed, having stated that it was through the guidance of the Holy God.
Of course, the saint couldn’t just bring him in without permission.
“…This way.”
Leading the group was the head Inquisition Officer, a figure clad in a black hood and priestly robe.
This area was not under the saint’s jurisdiction, and without his permission, no one could enter.
But the strict enforcer could not refuse her words either…
‘It seems the Holy God wishes to make Sir Heinrich the adversary of the Undead King.’
There was a significant weight in the saint’s words.
‘By the way, this place is really well-hidden.’
The underground passage I had previously known was just the beginning.
A long, intricate corridor, secret doors that opened under specific conditions, traps laid with holy law, and barriers everywhere.
It was a wonder how such a space remained hidden for so long.
‘…Holy Law barriers. Even at a level I can’t comprehend…’
Having learned the “Auterica Holy Law,” I had some understanding of it, but this was on another level entirely.
The space was constructed to be reached only through official passages, making it impossible to break down walls or dig into tunnels to get there.
In the center of such a place was sealed the last fragment of the “Undead King.”
‘The only way would have been to bring down the church and gradually find a path like this? But that wouldn’t be possible.’
The corridor stretched endlessly.
In between, they activated one of several gates to advance through short-distance teleportation.
After enduring such intense security, they finally reached the destination.
“This room…”
The group quietly followed the head Inquisition Officer into the interior behind the last security checkpoint.
‘Impressive.’
The entire room was inscribed with golden prayers to suppress black magic.
Even the door they had just entered through.
And in the center was…
Piled up as if to be offered to God.
Encircled by five slender silver chains connected to pillars around it.
‘That is the last fragment of the Undead King…’
Right before Heinrich’s eyes, there it was.