Ex-level Player With the Greatest Civilization of All Time - Chapter 80

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 80

The Blood Stone was radiating a deep crimson light.
Before, it had been a pale gem without that murky quality.
Now it blazed with intense, vivid radiance in all directions.

“I’d recommend throwing it out the window immediately!”

Neia, unusually flustered.
Unable to predict what might unfold, the logical move was to put distance between it and me first.

“Understood… calling in Humanoids now. Just a moment…”

I’d never seen Neia stumble like this before.
There was something oddly refreshing about it.
In any case, I was about to hurl the Blood Stone out with all my strength when it happened.
Ding—
A notification window bloomed before my eyes.

[Vampire Queen: Shurin is being summoned by the covenant.]

* * *

Shurin…
Vampire Queen.
So that was her title.
But to cut to the chase—I couldn’t stop myself.
By the time I’d read the message, my arm was already mid-swing.
Crash!
The Blood Stone shattered through the window and flew far into the distance.
“The Queen is being summoned…?”
As I was double-checking the notification, Neia’s voice reached me.

“Intruder detected within the city. Activating nearby Plasma turrets. Annihilating target.”

“Wait, Neia! Just in case—let’s try talking first. I’m not certain, but it might be someone I already know.”

“Understood. Mission parameters revised. Full force standing by. Intruder surrounded and held in position.”

At least I’d managed to stop her from indiscriminate fire.
With that crisis averted, my mind returned to the main question—what did I know about Shurin?
‘But why did she suddenly respond?’
I couldn’t figure out the reason for her unexpected summoning.
The Blood Stone had blazed to life without warning.
Unless…
A thought was taking shape.
What if she’d given it to me for a specific purpose from the start?
“Not that it felt that way at the time, though…”
But I’d just taken a blow to the back of my head from Sermin, so suspicion was warranted.
Doubt has a way of creeping in uninvited…
And now, belatedly, regret washed over me.
If I’d known it would come to this, I should’ve used it with Enchant!
Swallowing down the bittersweet regret that pooled inside me, I turned to Neia.
“If the intruder is the Vampire Queen, Krayl knows her. Send him to confirm.”

I waited for the result while checking outside the window.
Far in the distance, there was a figure that appeared to be Shurin, separated quite a bit farther than I’d expected.
And surrounding her densely were vast numbers of soldiers.
Following my orders, they weren’t attacking but maintaining a standoff—yet the air crackled with tension, as if the situation could detonate at any moment.
Within that knife-edge atmosphere, Krayl entered the encirclement and drew closer.
The next moment, the two of them began to speak, and it was only a short while after that.
Whoosh—
A hologram monitor materialized beside me.
Krayl opened his mouth on the screen.

“Successor, I’ve confirmed it.”

“Good. Report the situation.”

“There doesn’t appear to be any hostility. If anything, she seems taken aback. I think it would be better for you to speak with her directly—there are parts I don’t quite understand well enough to carry the conversation further.”

“Understood.”
Krayl stepped aside, and Shurin’s face came into view.
Shurin bowed with formal courtesy.

“We meet again, honored benefactor.”

“What are you doing here?”
At my pressing tone, she looked rather flustered instead.

“I beg your pardon? Ah… did you not summon me on purpose?”

“Summon you? What are you talking about?”

“Well, to put it simply—the Blood Stone is the highest recompense my clan offers to our benefactor, and it is also the means to summon me, or rather, the Queen. I assumed you understood its purpose.”

Even if people these days are notorious for never reading instruction manuals,
surely it’s still someone’s duty to explain things.
But no one had told me, so how was I supposed to know?
And what if I’d carelessly sold it or given it away? What then?
I was stewing silently in grievance when
Shurin asked, her face creased with puzzlement.

“But forgive me—why did the Blood Stone activate?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.”
That was the part that truly baffled me.
An SS-rank material had vanished, and my losses were substantial.
Resentment welled up inside me.

“The activation conditions for the Blood Stone are quite stringent, so it’s nearly impossible to trigger it by accident.”

“These stringent conditions—what exactly are they?”

“The benefactor’s mucous membrane must come into contact with the Blood Stone.”

Wow.
I’d managed to do the nearly impossible.
The recent event came back to me.
The time I’d let the Blood Stone drop into my mouth.
“…There was a small accident.”

“Yes, I wasn’t trying to press you about it, but this is rather awkward.”

“What is?”

‘A mistake on my part, truly. I should provide you with a different Blood Stone, but I’m afraid I don’t happen to carry a spare at the moment.’

What could I do about it?
To be honest, the accident was entirely my fault, so it felt awkward to ask for a replacement.
“I must repay this kindness…”
I’d been about to dismiss her, but then a thought struck me mid-sentence.
It was so absurd I nearly choked on the words.
Shurin, noticing my stare through the monitor, spoke up.

‘An honored benefactor?’

“…Yes, that’s it. That way my conscience will be at ease.”

‘Of course, sir.’

“So here’s what I want to ask—is it impossible to create a new Blood Stone?”

‘I’d estimate it would take approximately one month.’

I’d asked on a whim, but the answer was genuinely jackpot.
And for good reason.
‘If I play this right, couldn’t I essentially duplicate Blood Stones infinitely?’
Blood Stones.
The ultimate stat-boosting item.
They’d fetch a tremendous price if I sold them.
Whether I used them for Enchant or Skill Replacement, the effects would be formidable.
The scent of opportunity was thick in the air.
“A month is hardly a burden. I can wait that long without difficulty.”
I’d coax Shurin into staying here as long as possible.
An endless supply of Blood Stones would be mine.

‘Then it would be acceptable for me to remain here for a time?’

“You’re welcome anytime—not just a month. Stay as long as you’d like.”

‘I do have my pride, of course. But since you’ve extended such a kind offer, I shall rest here with gratitude.’

‘Then I shall impose upon your generosity for one month, honored benefactor.’

With the decision made, I assigned Neia to escort her before I could second-guess myself.
“Neia.”

‘Understood.’

As she guided Shurin toward the Residential district, my connection to Krayl cut out.
I was going to turn her into the perfect slave to modern civilization.
“Neia.”

‘I understand. I shall see to Shurin’s corruption.’

As expected of Neia.
She seemed to have grasped the situation immediately.
“I’m counting on you. Do whatever it takes to keep her here as long as possible.”

* * *

Shurin’s summoning had caused a brief stir, but
it was quickly resolved.
I’d soon fallen back into my routine.
Still, there was the matter of the day’s schedule slipping backward bit by bit.
The morning’s tasks were pushed back.
I killed some time before finally taking lunch.
After the meal came a brief tea break.
“I’m starting to feel human again.”
It really was delicious.
Dduldduli’s handmade fruit smoothie.
As I drank it in, savoring the peach aroma, a peculiar thought crossed my mind.
Those blunt hands of his—and yet he made something this refined.
Maybe I should ask Neia to change Dduldduli’s appearance too.
“This heat is absolutely unbearable.”
I set down the glass with the straw and rose from my seat.
“Still, work is work.”
Leaving the Commander’s room, I followed Neia’s guidance toward the Training ground.
Those two should have finished their lunch by now and returned.
At an unhurried pace, I reached a rather sizable elevator.
“This way?”

“Indeed.”

The elevator descended underground, and as the doors slid open, a spacious training ground sprawled before me.
Sermin stepped forward as if she’d been waiting, offering a salute.
“Welcome, sir!”
“Right. Sermin. Excuse me for a moment.”
I approached and checked the training statistics of both of them.

[Learning Rate: 7%]

When I’d checked it the day before, it was around 5%.
That was the result about three days after activating the Learning Mode.
But if the rate climbed 2% in the half-day since I adjusted the training regimen…
‘Is it actually working?’
The figures were vague enough that I couldn’t make a hasty pronouncement.
Ar’s numbers weren’t much different either.
For now, I decided to observe their training directly.
“I’d like to watch the two of you train for a bit.”
Ar and Sermin responded to my instruction
and began the revised training regimen.
I’d heard that before they’d only done shooting practice.
Now it was a training routine with clearly divided roles—offense and defense.
Ar directed attacks solely at Sermin.
Sermin only defended.
But watching them, I found myself exhaling a long, heavy sigh.
There were too many problems.
“Stop.”
Both of them froze instantly.
“Are the two of you playing games with me?”
“N-no, sir!”
“Then what’s the point of that halfhearted, careless display I just saw?”
To put it plainly, Ar’s attacks lacked conviction.
Rather than channeling full power as if facing an enemy,
she was merely click-clicking away with the training rifle.
Sermin blocked diligently enough, but because she knew a hit wouldn’t scratch her, there wasn’t even a hint of genuine tension in her movements.
It was nothing but a hollow simulation.
“Practice as if you were in real combat.”
If they couldn’t even follow that simplest of principles, it made no sense that the Learning Mode’s Experience Points would accelerate.
I turned to Ar and spoke.
“Get in a Drone, Ar.”

* * *

First, we relocated.
Outside the city—not the cramped Training ground.
If we were going to do this, we might as well have the space to move properly.
I gave Ar an order in Drone form.
“Attack Sermin, Ar.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.
I knew Sermin was tough, but she was still my sister.
“Even so, if you trust Sermin, you can attack her. As much as you trust her, strike without mercy—”
Boom-crack.
Ar’s Multiple turrets blazed with light.
Before I’d even finished speaking.
“Your trust is too strong?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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