Achievement Shop

'This was a thing?'

He had hunted Lee Seoyun many times before. But he had never seen a message related to this.

'One Who Opened New Horizons... '

Perhaps it had something to do with that. Come to think of it... this was also his first time earning an EX-grade achievement. If the shop was tied to that, it wasn't so strange that it had only appeared now.

Did the shop open the same way as his status window?

'Achievement Shop.'

[Opening the Achievement Shop!]

[Rank: Bronze]

[Achievement Points: 30]

[Product List]

[1. Limit-Breaking Elixir]

[Required Achievement Points: 100]

[2. ???]

[3. ???]

.

.

There seemed to be plenty of items, but he couldn't view their details. In the end, only one product was currently available for inspection.

[Limit-Breaking Elixir]

[Increases level potential by '50.']

'Huh?'

Wait. What was he looking at?

Kim Minwoo rubbed his eyes hard, unable to believe what he was seeing. Yet the description remained unchanged.

"... Holy shit!"

"Master, what's gotten into you?"

"Cedric! This is huge! Huge! Your senior just landed a whopper!"

"... A whopper?"

"Yeah, you idiot! Your senior can finally break past level 200!"

"... Are there people who can't?"

Unfortunately, this undead couldn't relate to his joy at all.

'This is why I can't stand those gifted bastards.'

Well, it wasn't as though he couldn't understand. Normally, anyone who awakened had the potential to reach at least level 300. Of course, being able to gain those levels and actually doing so were entirely different matters. Just as awakeners grew stronger, monsters became increasingly powerful at higher levels.

To gain a meaningful amount of experience, you had to hunt monsters around your own level. Beyond a certain point, even those became difficult to kill.

'That's usually when people give up on leveling.'

Levels 151 through 250. C-rank, also known as the stagnation zone, was that dreaded stretch. Starting with C-rank gates, even parties had to put their lives on the line.

Before that, the usual mindset was, "Shall I go make some money in a gate?" with your heart racing in anticipation. From this point on, it became, "I'll make it back alive today, right?" with your heart racing for a very different reason.

In any case, Cedric didn't seem to understand the concept of being unable to level past 200.

'Amazingly enough, it can happen.'

A miraculous genius who couldn't reach level 300, something even the neighborhood F-rank awakener could manage. Kim Minwoo was a remarkable example.

'I spent six years looking for a way past it... '

He had never found one. That was why he had been forced to fight the Dragon Lord at level 200.

But now, he had finally found the way!

'As long as I have achievement points... '

He could raise his level cap. Better still, the increase was fixed at 50, so he wouldn't have to pray the way he did when taking elixirs.

'That's an incredible effect.'

Levels weren't merely worth four stat points each. They were tied to equipment, skill books, and many other factors. And since he was a necromancer, his summons' level caps would rise as well.

'My ceiling just got so much higher.'

Far higher than he had imagined.

The important question now was how to earn achievement points. Minwoo recalled the messages he had seen earlier.

● You have hunted down 'Lee Seoyun,' one of the supporting villains!

● Parts of the story are beginning to change!

'A supporting villain, huh.'

Judging by that, the system probably wouldn't hand out achievement points just for killing any villain. He would have to take down ones who carried some weight in the story.

Hunting major and supporting villains. That was likely the first way to earn points.

'But killing them right now would be pretty damn tough.'

He knew plenty of characters in this game who qualified as major or supporting villains. The problem was... unless a series of coincidences brought him face-to-face with one, as had happened today, they weren't easy prey.

Every last one was powerful. Apart from a few, their spawn locations were random, too. He might stand a chance after gaining a lot more levels, but he couldn't take them down right now.

'Another way to earn points... Changing the story?'

A supporting villain had died. The story had changed, and he had earned points. Killing enemies probably wasn't the only way to obtain them.

'What if I influence an important character?'

The most central leading characters in this game were the protagonists players could control: Park Siwoo, Han Sia, Namgung Min, and Seo Yerim. Normally, they would never all share the same stage.

But things were different now. He recalled the message that had appeared when he started Stage 6.

[All leading characters in the game will gather in one world!]

The leading characters existed in this world, just as Seo Yerim did.

'If I influence them... '

He might be able to earn points.

Most likely, he hadn't received points from Seo Yerim because he hadn't caused a significant change in her. Frankly, all he'd done was rub his swordsmanship in her face. He hadn't changed anything decisive, had he?

Lee Seoyun, on the other hand, might have been only a supporting character, but her death had erased her existing storyline altogether. That would explain why the impact had been so great despite her supporting role.

Of the four, the easiest character to change was Park Siwoo, the one-star difficulty character. Returning to the time when Kim Minwoo was still Unawakened had pushed the timeline back considerably.

'He should be at the orphanage right now.'

Hanbit Orphanage. That was its name.

'And he should still be unawakened.'

The period when players controlled Park Siwoo was a little further in the future. Since he awakened then, he should still be unawakened now.

Minwoo knew Park Siwoo's awakening condition. He had also seen a message about humanity's potential being increased or something along those lines.

'What if I help him awaken at a rank above S?'

The guy was already a swordsmanship genius. What if he became SS- or SSS-rank? Whatever the story was, how could it possibly remain unchanged?

'It'll definitely have an impact.'

If that happened, he would be able to earn far more points than he had from hunting Lee Seoyun. Siwoo was easy to approach, and attempting his awakening wouldn't be difficult either. There was no reason not to try.

'And if I don't get any points, well... '

He could start a guild or something and put Siwoo to work as his lackey. The guy was a gifted bastard, so with a little equipment support, he would probably power-level on his own. Sooner or later, he would come in handy.

'I'll go see him once I get out.'

First, though, he needed to collect the equipment.

He looted Lee Seoyun's corpse and obtained assassin gear. Perhaps because she was a B-rank awakener with a promising future, the equipment was of fairly decent quality.

Unfortunately, class restrictions prevented him from equipping it, so he intended to sell it at the auction house. He should be able to get around thirty billion won.

And on top of that...

"Oh, jackpot."

He had obtained one particularly good item.

[Dark Tracker's Ring]

[Grade: Unique]

[Required Level: 51 or higher]

[Effect 1. Increases all stats by 15.]

[Effect 2. Allows the use of Body Heat Tracking (C) by consuming mana.]

[Effect 3. Increases damage by 10% on a critical hit.]

"A premium accessory, huh?"

An accessory with no class restrictions and a remarkably low level requirement for its performance. Something like this was impossible to obtain in an ordinary gate.

'She completed a quest chain.'

This was the kind of item you could only obtain by finding a hidden condition, activating a quest chain, and completing it all the way through.

"Usually, you can't buy these even if you have the money."

That was only natural. Unless you were retiring as an awakener, you would simply keep using it. Why sell something like this while you were still growing?

That was probably why she had continued wearing it despite her high level. Accessories were scarce to begin with, making a full setup difficult, and assassins paired with increased critical-hit damage were one of those unbeatable combinations. The boost to all stats went without saying.

He put Lee Seoyun's corpse and equipment into his spatial ring. Now it was time to clear the gate.

His heart fluttered with excitement. His encounter with Seoyun had unexpectedly earned him ten levels. He was currently level 40. Just eleven more would bring him to 51, the point at which he could absorb the next tier of elixirs and skill books. His combat strength would reach an entirely different level.

"Let's go."

Cedric and the horde of skeletons nodded.

* * *

He gained levels as he wiped out every monster in the gate.

[Your level has increased!]

[You have reached level 51.]

He managed to reach level 51 before arriving at the boss room. He took out the low-grade elixirs.

[Low-Grade Magic Power Pill]

[Grade: D]

[Required Level: 51 or higher]

[Consumption slightly increases mana. (Applies up to a stat value of 150.)]

The stat value mentioned by an elixir referred to an intrinsic stat, excluding bonuses from titles, equipment, and the like.

What counted as an intrinsic stat? The base value he had started with, increases from elixirs, and stat points gained through leveling. All of those added together made up his intrinsic stats. They could also include stats that rose naturally through training or other actions.

'That doesn't apply to this guy.'

He had never seen Kim Minwoo's stats increase through training. It was best to treat that possibility as nonexistent.

The conclusion? Each stat, as defined by the elixirs, was currently 100. He only needed to raise each one by 50. That would mean a total increase of 200 stat points. His royal road to success would be complete.

And so he absorbed the first elixir.

[The Low-Grade Magic Power Pill is absorbed.]

[Amazing! Your dreadful body has beaten atrocious odds and fully absorbed the elixir's effects!]

[Magic power increases by 2!]

"What?"

Two points in one go?

Minwoo stared in shock at a message he had never seen in his life.

[You have acquired the title 'Super Lucky Guy'!]

"... And they're giving me a title for this?"

Didn't you have to do something pretty damn difficult to earn a title? To think he'd get one for a message other people saw as routinely as they ate meals.

For the first time, he realized that Kim Minwoo's body did have its advantages. He immediately checked the effects.

[New Title List]

[1. PK Expert]

[You defeated an awakener despite an overwhelming gap in strength.]

[Effect: Increases attack power by 10% against awakeners with a level difference of 200 or more.]

[2. Super Lucky Guy]

[You overcame atrocious odds and made good fortune a reality.]

[Effect: Your luck seems to have improved.]

'My luck seems to have improved... '

That was a very vague effect. Still, it had to be better than nothing.

He proceeded to absorb all the elixirs.

"... That's an incredible effect."

He was rather surprised. His body had taken to the elixirs exceptionally well.

"I managed it with only eight hundred..."

Comparing it to his experience at level one made it clear just how impressive that was. Back then, he had needed over a thousand elixirs.

Thinking his purchase from Choi Yuna wouldn't be enough, he had brought another two hundred or so from the family storeroom. It looked as though he could simply put those back.

"Lucky me."

He really was lucky.

With a broad grin, Minwoo learned the skill from the skill book.

[Summon Skeleton Mage (E)+9]

[This skill has been enhanced to its limit.]

[Consumes 20 mana to summon 2 (1+1) LV1 skeleton mages.]

"Ah, beautiful."

The effects of a +9 enhancement were a thing of beauty every time. It cost twice as much mana as ordinary skeletons, but mages were worth it.

It was about time to switch to his next set of equipment. He unequipped his old gear and opened his status window.

[Name: Kim Minwoo (23)]

[Class: Necromancer]

[Level: 51]

[Skills (4/20): Death Lord (EX), Summon Cedric (SSS), Summon Skeleton Mage (E)+9, Summon Skeleton (F)+9]

[Mana: 1,920/1,920]

[Titles: 15]

[Stats]

[Strength: 181 (+18)] [Agility: 181 (+18)] [Vitality: 152 (+15)] [Magic Power: 175 (+17)]

"That's insane."

These were not the stats of someone at level 51. And they didn't even include the bonuses from his new equipment: the Dark Tracker's Ring, which he could now equip at level 51, and the Rare-grade set he had purchased at the auction house.

[Equipping the Dark Tracker's Ring!]

[All stats increase by 15!]

[Equipping the Reaper of Ruin set!]

[Strength +15, Agility +15, Vitality +15, Magic Power +50!]

[Drain (D) is activated!]

His magic power shot up by another 65, and Indomitable Soul added another six on top of that.

His magic power was now 263. That alone gave him 2,630 mana.

And when he combined that with Death Lord's reduced mana consumption...

"Rise, my lackeys."

[452 skeletons are summoned!]

[300 skeleton mages are summoned!]

An enormous army of over seven hundred rose to its feet. It was far too many to take down a mere gorilla boss.