'N-No way! Even if his 'Status' was lowered, to handle Levi that easily?'
'He', who was watching from the outside, could not hide his astonishment.
He couldn't even tell how Levi had lost.
What could be seen through the screen was that the two clashed head-on, and it looked like Levi was unilaterally pushing him back, but the situation was reversed in an instant.
At a glance, it might look like he destroyed himself.
However, those with eyes would surely know.
That is Lucas's work.
Levi's technique, which should have poured onto Lucas, had conversely hacked Levi's own body to pieces.
'Lucas...'
He felt a pure shudder at Lucas's strength.
And he could tell.
That he would become the biggest stumbling block in his plan.
The fact that he must be removed before the great undertaking begins, no matter what.
'I must get rid of him as a priority.'
The invasion of Glasco is the so-called signal flare that will spread the flames of war across the entire continent.
He cannot allow the first button to be fastened wrong.
He firmly engraved Lucas's image in his mind.
***
"Professor, thank you so much!"
Ruina ran over first and snatched my hand.
To be precise, the locket held in my hand.
It happened so quickly that I missed the timing to react.
Seeing her cherish the dusty locket, it seems it found its owner.
"Don't lose it."
It seems to be a precious item.
[Ruina's affection increases significantly. +40]
...Affection went up a lot.
It is good if affection rises, but Ruina's affection is not entirely welcome.
Because I cannot use her skills.
As befitting the successor of the Magic Tower, most of those skills are magic that boasts powerful firepower.
Naturally, they consume a tremendous amount of mana.
However, there is no way such an amount of mana exists in me.
With my amount of mana, I can only use magic to the extent of lighting a cigarette or spewing out enough water to drink a refreshing cup.
If that's the case, it's better to carry a lighter or a tumbler.
'Wait, Rit's affection increased too.'
Come to think of it, Rit's affection had increased significantly.
'Why did he suddenly pop up?'
Anyway, the increase in Rit's affection could be called a tremendous favorable factor.
What is especially fortunate is that the hostility has disappeared.
The fact that I no longer have to feel a threat to my life from Rit came as a great joy.
And...
'Special Coupon? Are you kidding me, seriously.'
This is the guy that has come as the biggest stress to me right now.
'Of all times...'
The intent itself is good.
Whatever the product, if it fits the conditions, they will exchange it unconditionally regardless of the price.
However, cough up your entire fortune.
Even if I pour in all my assets, it is a tremendous perk.
Considering that Tier 1 is products up to 1,000G, and Tier 2 is products around 100,000G.
'You should have given it a bit earlier!'
But right now, I am in a situation where I have received two big donations worth a whopping 10,000 Gold and even a pile of additional donations.
If they had given it just a little earlier, I might have even danced while apologizing for calling it a trash game all this time.
And I would have deeply appreciated the donations that came in afterward.
But there is no way this trash game would do that.
Resentment toward this system with its dog-shit timing rises like smoke, and my blood pressure spikes.
At the same time, my weakness was felt desperately.
The root cause of all this anger is that I am weak.
That is why I need the items in the Gold Shop more, and why 100G is precious.
Just looking at the battle a while ago confirms it.
It might look like an easy victory to the naked eye, but the reality is that it happened only because coincidence piled upon coincidence.
My spoiler was recognized as a teaching to Levi, and Levi's curiosity was acknowledged as affection.
Thanks to that, I could steal the bastard's technique more easily.
Above all, the biggest factor was that the bastard's 'Status' was lowered as he was summoned to this
He died without being able to make a proper response because he couldn't adapt to his weaker self.
Normally, no, if his 'Status' had dropped just a little less, it would have been me who met death with those spikes piercing my entire body.
'I want to live.'
I felt it sincerely and desperately.
My growth is still insufficient to trust only those meat shields.
Indeed, even in the original flow, they couldn't manifest their proper talents until the moment Glasco fell.
I thought it would work if I simply led them.
However, the variables for my death are too numerous to wait for their growth.
'Gold Shop.'
I immediately called the Gold Shop.
Normally, I might have put it off until later to save this 'Special Coupon'.
But that is an act that ignores me, and the readers.
It is underestimating the interest of those who wish for my growth, and their sincerity.
'Instead, I will choose the best I can.'
So that not a speck of regret remains.
The most important value in this Gold Shop is not the price.
It is how much I can raise the actual usability of the corresponding item.
Furthermore, among the items or skills up to Tier 2, there is nothing that is munchkin-level strong.
Things that seem truly strong are only accessible if you do crazy spending like in Lineage.
But that doesn't mean the products up to Tier 2 are useless.
-Ten Thousand Flows Return to Origin 99,900G
.
.
-Sonic Slash 92,500G
-Call a Stag a Horse 91,000G
.
.
-Laser Shot 82,600G
Ten Thousand Flows Return to Origin which gives off a strong feeling of Daoist mental cultivation, the sword of sound speed Sonic Slash, and Call a Stag a Horse which looks like a smooth-talking skill.
And Laser Shot, which seems like its destructive power alone would be immense, etc.
This was strictly only a part, and there were more items.
Looking at the endlessly lined up items, I remembered.
'Ah, I'm fucked.'
That I am a person with severe indecision disorder who agonizes over the menu at Kimbap Hell for 30 minutes.
***
"Ailon!"
Steven Dust pushed through the tremendous crowd and hugged Ailon.
"Let's see, my baby. Your face has become half its size. Don't worry now. It's all over. You worked hard, you worked hard!"
"...."
Ailon hugged his father back without a word.
His appearance looked even more haggard than himself.
"Here, are there any injuries?"
"Yeah, Dad. I'm okay."
Steven stroked and examined Ailon for a long time.
Being his father, he could tell.
Ailon is not okay at all.
It isn't a physical wound.
He is suffering from a slightly more fundamental intense pain.
It could be seen as growing pains.
Such an appearance of Ailon was pitiful yet commendable.
"Oh, Professor Lucas."
Eventually, Lucas comes out last.
Even though he had been trapped inside with the students for a long time, his figure has not lost its nobility.
Admiration was brief.
Steven ran to him, held his two hands tightly, and conveyed his sincere gratitude.
"Thank you, thanks to you my son lived. I don't know how to express my gratitude, your grace is endless."
"I apologize for causing you worry."
"No! It was a good opportunity to witness the Professor's tremendous martial power. Indeed, it is a demeanor befitting the 'Hero of the Eastern Front'! And thanks to you, my son also... seems to have grown a little more."
"Thank you for understanding. Then, I will take my leave."
It was a private meeting with the world's richest man no less, but he simply gave a light silent bow and slipped away as if he didn't care about such things.
"Professor Lucas!"
But Steven is not the only one who has business with him.
Starting from Dean Harriet, Vice-Chancellor Ronald, to Chancellor Heinz—professors who have a mountain of questions for him.
"Professor, please look over here for a moment!"
"This is Reporter Kibitan from Aeroc News!"
"Professor, the entire continent is waiting for your interview!"
Above all, the biggest chaos was the reporters who were bloodshot to get a scoop on the tremendous exclusive.
They thrust filming magic tools and recording magic tools at him and poured out questions.
"You won easily in the battle against the demon, was it a reenactment of the Eastern Front?"
"What do you think about Glasco's security system having a hole?"
"Professor, please give us just one word!"
At their sticky annoyance, Lucas's steps stopped.
He swept his gaze over the audience once.
Countless eyes focused on Lucas's mouth.
That mouth opens slowly.
"Dk, Tlqkf ghkwkdtlf rmqgkslRk Rjwu."
A language never heard before.
But an unknown dignity and charisma are felt within it.
The reporters were in a dazed state for a moment.
Not caring about their reaction, Lucas's feet move again.
The massive crowd naturally cleared a path as if possessed by something.
***
'Bathroom, bathroom...'
Since I was trapped for a long time, I'm dying to go to the bathroom.
If those trash reporters hadn't held me up, I would have solved it already.
Even here, trash reporters are the problem.
Sitting on the toilet, I poured out the accumulated things.
At the same time, I continued my contemplation.
My damned indecision disorder hadn't been able to make a decision for over 10 hours.
Anyone would be like that.
Wouldn't you want to reap the best profit since you obtained it?
I have narrowed down the candidates.
Among the skills that meet the criteria first, the most expensive
Ah, Call a Stag a Horse is excluded of course.
My talking skills are sufficient even now.
'Ah, which one would be better...'
It's to the point of being painful because there are too many choices.
If I choose this, that one glimmers, and if I choose that, this one is regrettable.
At that moment when I couldn't make a decision for a while.
[A new notification has arrived.]
[Black Labyrinth has donated 100G.]
[Black Labyrinth has donated 100G.]
Rapidly, donation alerts began to ring.
'Uh? Uh, uh-uh?'
Joy was brief, and a déjà vu I had already experienced once brushed through my mind.
A reader who fiercely threw a hundred-won punch, donating 100G ten times.
As the memory of that time overlapped, my mind became urgent.
'I have to choose before more donations come.'
If I stay like this, all the donations that follow will fly away into the void.
There is nothing as wasteful as that.
[Black Labyrinth has donated 100G.]
Sure enough, the donations continue.
Now the notification window started to feel like a time bomb urging me on.
'Quickly!'
Instinctively, I selected one skill.
[You have used the 'Special Coupon' to purchase Ten Thousand Flows Return to Origin.]
===
Ten Thousand Flows Return to Origin.
As the proficiency of the first learned skill rises, the rate of proficiency increase for other skills becomes faster.
[Black Labyrinth has donated 100G.]
[Black Labyrinth has donated 100G.]
[Black Labyrinth has donated 100G.]
[Black Labyrinth has donated 100G.]
[Black Labyrinth has donated 100G.]
[Black Labyrinth has donated 100G.]
[Black Labyrinth has donated 100G.]
[k2929 has donated 100G.]
[Beef Rice Soup has donated 100G.]
[g2523_lancetein1223 has donated 100G.]
[g2523_lancetein1223 has donated 300G.]
[g2523_lancetein1223 has donated 500G.]
[g2523_lancetein1223 has donated 1,000G.]
[Abc1234 has donated 300G.]
Like a ghost, additional donation notifications follow.
I almost blew the readers' precious sincerity into the void.
'That was close.'
A whopping 3,100G of additional donations.
If my judgment was just a little late, wouldn't I have blown this precious sincerity into the void?
I instinctively chose the most expensive skill in the tight time, but I have no regrets.
Sonic Slash, which seems to boast powerful might, or Laser Shot glimmer in my mind, but I cannot expect overwhelming power from a Tier 2 level skill.
Rather,
...Is how I comforted myself.
It can't be helped that regret lingers even after finishing the choice.
Don't they say humans are animals of regret?
However, at this time.
[I Will Watch has registered a recommendation post.]
[By registering a recommendation post, 'Item Draw Ticket X1' is provided.]
A notification appeared before my eyes to blow away that regret in one shot.