I Became an Almighty All-Master with EX-Rank Spirits - Chapter 20

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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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Episode 20
Episode 20
Four in the morning.
Despite only six hours of sleep, my stamina bar was full and my condition was at its peak.
Yesterday’s exhaustion might as well have never happened—only a pleasant vitality coursed through me.
Waking up had become something I actually looked forward to.
Before, I’d barely drag myself out of bed half-asleep.
Since things were going well, they might as well get better.
My Hunger was sufficient, so I decided to raise the level of Superior Regeneration further.
[Hunger: (10,000/10,000)]
[Condition met!]
[Your buff ‘Superior Regeneration (D+) Lv. 1’ has evolved into ‘Superior Regeneration (D+) Lv. 2’!]
[The amount of Mana, Stamina, and Health recovered has increased!]
Two more level-ups then.
Let’s do this.
…….
…….
[Hunger: (200,000/200,000)]
[Condition met!]
[Your buff ‘Superior Regeneration (D+) Lv. 3’ has evolved into ‘Superior Regeneration (D+) Lv. 4′!]
[The amount of Mana, Stamina, and Health recovered has increased!]
“Whoa, stop right there! The next level needs 500,000? You’re messing with me.”
I’ll get back to it once I have the resources again.
I’d spent 300,000 Hunger total.
The returns were exceptional for what I’d consumed.
-Chirp! Chirp!
[Fire (EX) says the air in the Spirit Rest Shelter feels even better than before!]
[Fire (EX) says recovery works better too!]
Walking in, I felt the difference immediately.
Should’ve upgraded it sooner.
There’d just been so much else to juggle lately.
I’d have to make time for this more often.
Since I’d filled up properly on fried chicken and potatoes yesterday, I’d keep breakfast light this morning.
Roasted sweet potato, milk, boiled egg, salad.
It was a hassle, but I couldn’t eat heavy or spicy food at every meal either.
Even Awakeners have to take care of their bodies to some degree.
-Chirp!
[Fire (EX) says the sweet potato and milk combination is incredible!]
[Fire (EX) says it’s so delicious he might burst into flames!]
“Is there anything you actually dislike?”
-Chirp?
[Fire (EX) asks what you mean by that!]
I’d have to let him try fermented skate if I got the chance.
Wonder if he’d actually eat that.
After filling my stomach, it was time to climb the tower.
“Today’s the last trial of this kind.”
The type of trial that changes as you move to the next floor.
From what I’d heard, the next floor’s trial was—
-Monster Wave. It’s a place where even powerful Awakeners struggle to survive.
“Strength alone won’t cut it. I’ll need to whittle them down steadily.”
-Correct. Even if you somehow manage to clear all the monsters and enemies in one Wave, the next Wave brings even more. That’s not all—if the castle takes damage and crumbles, you fail regardless of clearing the Waves. What matters is your endurance.
Sustaining through multiple rounds was the key.
I had nothing to worry about.
With the Spirit Rest Shelter’s improved recovery efficiency, a few Waves were manageable.
I started immediately.
[You have arrived at Floor 8 of the Trial Tower.]
[Find 10 objectives and return safely.]
[Objectives: 0/10]
This trial lived up to being the final one.
The objectives alone had doubled.
Beyond that, the complex Maze was crafted with such precision that it seemed the work of master architects.
The Kobolds’ crude weapons had been replaced with systematic equipment.
Iron helmets and armor of unknown craftsmanship, complete with gleaming crossbows.
And that wasn’t all.
“Grrrugh!”
“Grrrugh!”
Thud!
“Quite the gathering from the start.”
This final trial befitted its purpose—the search for the objective.
The moment it began, countless Kobolds surrounded me.
The difficulty had risen tenfold.
Yet the outcome remained unchanged even as the difficulty climbed.
One Meteor was enough to finish them.
[Fire (EX)’s possessed skill, ‘Meteor (EX)’, activates.]
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-bang!!
Finding the objective had become more challenging.
Even with a spirit’s eyes, it was hard to see through.
Though only briefly.
I located the target soon enough.
After repeating the sequence exactly ten times.
[Trial Tower, 8th Floor cleared!]
[Objective: 10/10]
[Awakened Kobolds: 15,000/15,000]
[Awakened Kobold Captains: 50/50]
[Awakened Kobold Commanders: 5/5]
[The entire Kobold Maze of Trial Tower, 8th Floor has been annihilated!]
[A New Record has been achieved!]
[Trial Tower, 8th Floor World Ranking, 1st place has been updated!]
[Clear Time: 7 minutes 19 seconds]
[Trial Tower, 8th Floor has been cleared with overwhelming dominance!]
[Superior Basket × 1,033 crafted by Awakened Kobolds is awarded!]
[Sharp Blade × 1,445 from Awakened Kobolds is awarded!]
[Shiny Shield × 1,489 from Awakened Kobolds is awarded!]
[Gold Necklace × 14 from Awakened Kobold Captains is awarded!]
[Shining Gem Talisman × 1 from Awakened Kobold Commanders is awarded!]
[Acquire Lowest-Tier Mana Stone (F) × 996!]
[Acquire Lower-Tier Mana Stone (E) × 691!]
[Acquire Mid-Lower-Tier Mana Stone (D) × 493!]
[Acquire Mid-Tier Mana Stone (C) × 372!]
[Acquire Mid-Upper-Tier Mana Stone (B) × 260!]
[Acquire Upper-Tier Mana Stone (A) × 17!]
[Acquire Ultimate Mana Stone (S) × 3!]
Though three minutes slower, it was a record-breaking time given the heightened difficulty.
What caught my attention most was the Mana Stones.
Three S-tier Mana Stones.
I’d already been curious about something, and this was convenient.
I placed an S-tier Mana Stone into the Buff Purifier.
When Fire drank the water, his eyes widened.
[Purified Water from Concentrated Ultimate Mana Stone (S+) has been consumed!]
[Hunger increases by 3.25 times the normal rate!]
[Decreasing Hunger decreases by 3.05 times the normal rate!]
[Effect maintained for 72 hours!]
“Insane?! This is it!”
-Coo-coo! Coo-coo!
[Fire (EX) says the taste is incredible!]
[Fire (EX) says it goes down endlessly since it’s ground up!]
[Fire (EX) says it stimulates the appetite!]
Fire was equally delighted.
He immediately began consuming food and Mana Stones voraciously.
As food and Mana Stones vanished in an instant, his Hunger gauge filled rapidly.
[Hunger has reached 1,000,000!]
[Fire (EX) has advanced to Level 1!]
❰Fire (EX) Lv. 11❱
❰Possessed Skills: Hellfire (EX), Meteor (EX), Hell Sphere (EX)❱
❰Hunger: (0/2,500,000)❱
……New skill unlocks at Level 15
……Yi Chan-young unlocks a new skill upon reaching 2,500,000 Hunger
Hunger increased by 2.5 times.
Yeah, I’d figured as much.
At least it didn’t grow any more than that.
But there was nothing to worry about.
The rate at which Hunger fills has increased proportionally, and the consumption has decreased significantly as well.
I checked the skills.
[You have successfully reached 2,500,000 Hunger.]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Concealment (C-)’!]
[A similar skill exists!]
[The skills ‘Captivating Light (C-)’, ‘Shadow Veil (C)’, and ‘Concealment (C-)’ merge and strengthen into ‘Light and Shadow (B+)’!]
<Light and Shadow (B+)>
Description: Using the shadow of the Dark Spirit, you can perfectly conceal your presence at any time, and using the light of the Light Spirit, you can make yourself appear captivating.
“Oh! B+! Captivating Light was already overkill on its own.”
Turn it on and animals swarm all over me.
Because of that, I usually kept it off—but the timing turned out perfect for the skills to merge.
The Ghost House is managed by Association staff, who screen Hunters carefully.
Even if I was famous, I was just someone who frequented E-rank Gates.
There’s no way they’d accept me.
But with the Light and Shadow skill, sneaking in would be perfect.
Into the Ghost House, too.
Since I can turn it on and off as I please, even better.
I’d done everything that needed doing, and gotten everything there was to get.
I began preparations.
Pickaxe—check. Fire—check.
Normally, you’d need Protective Gear like you would on Gwanak Mountain to avoid losing your mind.
The kind of gear that protects against Spirit Form monsters’ influence.
But with a body blessed by Spirit’s Blessing, that wouldn’t be necessary.
And I have Steel Heart too.
“Think I’ll be alright?”
-Yes. With those two combined, they should not exert much influence over your mind. Ah, and if you lack Spirit Form-exclusive skills, all attack damage will be reduced by fifty percent, so keep that in mind.
“Spirits get seventy percent through.”
-Correct.
That’s nothing to worry about.
What I should be worried about now is—
“What am I going to eat at the Ghost House? The Yin Energy there is so strong, there aren’t any restaurants anywhere near it.”
-Chirp?
[Fire (EX) asks what you think of tempura shrimp and vegetables.]
“I ate that yesterday. That’s a bit much.”
Food was all that mattered.
In a place thick with Yin Energy, you need to eat food full of Yang Energy.
“Pork belly with instant rice, ssamjang sauce, kimchi, lettuce, garlic, and Chinese chives! Oh! Now that’s perfect!”
Even I felt satisfied with my choices.
Nothing tastes as good as grilled pork belly after hard labor.
Especially when that hard labor happens at the Ghost House!
-Chirp? Chirp?
[Fire (EX) asks what pork belly is.]
[Fire (EX) asks again whether it tastes better than beef.]
“Does it ever. Sometimes it’s ten million times tastier than beef.”
-Chirp?!
[Fire (EX)’s eyes widen in astonishment as it bounces up and down in place!]
Its eyes flare with anticipation.
There should be some ingredients among what I’d shopped for.
“I’ve got lettuce, Chinese chives, garlic, and kimchi, but everything else is missing.”
I should stop by the market on the way and buy everything I need.
A portable burner and a grill pan too.
I’ll keep all the ingredients from home in my inventory.
They say the Ghost House is a dangerous place, yet here I am, growing more excited at the thought of grilled meat.
Just in case, I packed a thermos full of hot water for instant noodles as well!
With my inventory stocked and my spirits high, I left the house with a light step.
* * *
A mountain blanketed in thick fog.
Two Association employees stood there, their first shift of the day, dressed head to toe in protective gear.
Their faces were crumpled and haggard, as though someone had wrung them out.
There was no helping it.
“Why’d it have to be the Ghost House, of all places.”
The Ghost House was notoriously treacherous.
It wasn’t for nothing that Association staff dreaded the assignment.
The dense Yin Energy meant that Spirit Form monsters sometimes appeared even outside the Ghost House itself.
The fog that hung perpetually made visibility nearly impossible, and beyond that—
‘I’ve heard stories of people who saw ghosts and lost their minds.’
Still, he was used to situations like this.
It was his fifth year assigned to the Ghost House, and his body remained perfectly intact.
Rumors were always like that anyway.
The man beside him, by contrast, trembled visibly.
“I-is this really okay? I’m, I’m on my first assignment here.”
“First assignment, huh? Didn’t take long to figure out you’re new. The Ghost House is practically an initiation rite for Association staff.”
“Yes! I’ve been here a week!”
A thin smile played at his lips.
‘As a senior, I should give the newcomer a proper welcome.’
It was nothing special.
Something he’d done to the last recruit too.
Just set up a homemade ghost sign behind them and that was it.
He was about to sneak away under the pretense of using the restroom when—
“S-Senior! There’s something dark and hazy over there—what is that?”
“What are you talking about? Why would something like that—?!”
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
“Gaaaah!”
He spun around to see a dark, shadowy form lunging toward him.
He fell backward onto his rear and lost consciousness.
“S-Senior! Senior!”
The dark, hazy shape—which was me—scratched beneath my nose awkwardly.
“I didn’t mean to do that.”
I was only trying to test my skill abilities.
I hadn’t expected the performance to be this effective.
The Concealment ability erased all traces of my existence entirely.
Fortunately, aside from passing out, the man seemed unharmed.
When he woke up, I’d have to give him a tonic or something.
After confirming he had no serious injuries, I stepped into the entrance of the Ghost House and gasped.
The fog here was even thicker, the atmosphere more desolate.
Now I understood at once why the place was called the Ghost House.

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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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