I Got an Ex-Class Omnipotent System - Chapter 146
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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 146
146: Leisurely Days (4)
By this point, I could understand why Choe Yunsuk was acting this way. He was clearly trying to give us space so that Hanalin and I could get along better, and I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at the absurdity of it all.
‘What is he trying to do, pairing us up like this?’
Granted, it was ridiculous that he’d been flirting shamelessly with Hanalin from the start, but since Choe Yunsuk had no malicious intent and wasn’t trying to mock me, I let it slide. The real problem was that Hanalin couldn’t possibly be unaware of his scheming.
Anyone could see he was holding his phone upside down when he answered the call, and his acting was so terrible that it was impossible not to notice. So Hanalin was awkwardly glancing at me after Choe Yunsuk left.
The moment did become awkward, but I was well-versed in handling such situations, so it posed no problem. In fact, I spoke as if things had gone perfectly.
“Since Yunsuk’s gone, why don’t we talk about the voyage schedule?”
“Oh! That sounds good.”
Hanalin responded immediately to my suggestion, and the awkward atmosphere vanished in an instant. Talking about work was indeed the best way to dispel such tension. After all, Hanalin and I were party members. Since we’d be starting the voyage again soon, it made sense to discuss it.
If I were to pinpoint the greatest problem with the current voyage, I could identify it instantly without even using Analysis.
While I’d initially enjoyed the voyage quite a bit, as we progressed without any significant variables occurring, the days had become tedious and monotonous, which was taking a considerable toll on us. The lack of variables meant the boredom continued relentlessly.
“I think the biggest problem is the boredom. What do you think?”
“Hmm, I think so too. It feels like it’s eating away at our mental fortitude…”
The greater problem was that I couldn’t immediately think of a viable solution.
I pulled out a map from my magic pouch. After checking the area where I’d last made a record and roughly calculating the remaining distance based on our speed so far, the remaining distance at our current pace would be approximately—
“About 25 more days, I’d say…”
“…It won’t be faster than a promotion, but will we be able to endure the boredom?”
“We’ll eventually arrive if we keep going, but…”
“The problem is that the time before that will be quite grueling.”
I could only nod in agreement with Hanalin’s words. Could I come up with a way to overcome this right now?
As I was thinking hard about preparations for the voyage, I suddenly glanced down at the bread and beverage I was eating. My eyes lit up as I looked at the coffee and sweet treats.
“Ah?”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
As my eyes brightened with a sudden idea, Hanalin looked at me. Her eyes held a subtle gleam of anticipation, which was natural—whenever I had that expression, I usually came up with quite good ideas.
True to form, I spoke to Hanalin.
“It won’t be a complete solution, but think about it—we’ve always bought or eaten food after crossing through the Black Gate, right? But since we all have magic pouches, if we fill them with Earth food before we go, we’d have more things to enjoy, which could reduce our stress, don’t you think?”
“Oh? Now that you mention it…”
Even the smallest magic pouch cost 500,000 points, making it quite a rare item. And one of its greatest effects was constancy—an ability that preserved items in the exact state they were in when placed inside the pouch.
This meant that if I ordered chicken and immediately put it in the pouch, I could eat that hot, crispy chicken inside the Black Gate.
Since food played a surprisingly significant role in reducing stress, if we carried various snacks and other items in our pouches, it would definitely be quite helpful.
Of course, running monotonously without any variables might be difficult, but if we thought about enjoying fried chicken and beer together at the Dormitory when we returned?
‘Ah, fried chicken and beer after work? I can’t resist that.’
It wasn’t for nothing that people who returned from overtime would order maratang, tteokbokki, or chicken to relieve stress.
When I said this, Hanalin nodded quite enthusiastically.
“That’s actually a really good idea! We can reduce stress, and thinking about eating something delicious after it’s all over gives us energy, you know?”
“Exactly. Pureair is great in every way, but the problem is that there aren’t many restaurants with food that suits human tastes. If we procure food from Earth and eat it there instead, there’s nothing better than that.”
“You’re really a genius, oppa.”
It was an idea Hanalin could have come up with herself with a bit more thought, but since I’d been carrying the magic pouch ever since I obtained it from defeating a Dwarf in the E-rank Zone, everyone had become so accustomed to it that they simply hadn’t thought of it.
In any case, now that we’d realized it, that was all that mattered.
Dohyun and Hanalin discussed various matters as they deliberated over which foods to bring and how many servings they would need.
Hanalin’s eyes sparkled at the mention of food. Before becoming a Hunter, she barely ate—there were times she skipped meals entirely. She had actually preferred beverages and frequented cafes like these, but after becoming a Hunter and traveling with Dohyun, she had inevitably fallen in love with eating.
There was even talk that the enormous mana Hunters generated was consumed as energy, burning calories in the process. For someone like Hanalin with such a staggering mana reserve, eating large quantities was essential—perhaps even inevitable.
After going through various discussions, Hanalin suddenly asked a question.
“Does this mean we won’t come back out until we find the treasure?”
It was a fairly important question, so Dohyun thought for a moment before shaking his head. Even with stress levels reduced, the thought of running continuously day and night for an entire month sounded dreadful. That wasn’t acceptable, so he shook his head, and Hanalin also sighed with relief.
“Leaving too quickly doesn’t feel right either. I’d say we should stay for about ten days. Still, wouldn’t it be better to clear more than half before coming back out?”
“I think that’s good too. I still have the motivation for it.”
Hanalin agreed with Dohyun’s words, and as they continued discussing various details, both of them began to recall one forgotten party member.
They wondered if it was okay to plan like this without Jiyuchan. Neither spoke it aloud, but they shared similar thoughts.
‘Besides, even if Jiyuchan were here, he wouldn’t say anything anyway.’
‘As long as we figure it out and tell him, he’ll just say okay. So it doesn’t matter.’
As Dohyun and Hanalin finished their discussion with similar thoughts in mind, they began preparing to enter, and the meeting proceeded smoothly.
However.
[Jiyuchan: When are we going in?]
[Jiyuchan: Shouldn’t we start talking about this?]
[Jiyuchan: You guys?]
While they were in the middle of their discussion, Jiyuchan was sending messages to the group chat all alone, feeling rather lonely.
* * *
About ten days after Dohyun’s Party had eliminated Rahel’s Party and exited the C-rank Zone, Dohyun’s Party returned to the Association to enter the C-rank Zone once more.
Since it had been ten days since they last saw each other, Jiyuchan greeted them warmly.
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
Ten days was certainly long enough to call it a while. However, Dohyun and Hanalin found themselves wondering if it really had been that long when they saw Jiyuchan.
After all, they had just discussed everything the day before yesterday, so at least for the two of them, it didn’t feel like a long time at all.
“Ah, yeah. It has been a while.”
“Hmm, it has been a while.”
“…What’s with that reaction?”
At their somewhat ambiguous responses, Jiyuchan glanced at them both, but his attention was drawn to what Dohyun said next.
“Anyway, did you have a good holiday?”
“Ah yes, it was nice. My family congratulated me on becoming a Hunter after all this time, and it was a meaningful occasion.”
“Hmm, it was similar for me.”
“I guess holidays are pretty much the same for all Hunters. Anyway, do you remember what I sent you in the message yesterday?”
After some small talk, Dohyun asked, and Jiyuchan was the first to nod vigorously in response.
“Of course.”
“Oh? You sound quite confident.”
“Hehe, you’ll all be amazed when you see what I brought.”
“Oh?”
Seeing Hanalin also brimming with confidence, Dohyun chuckled as well. What they were talking about was simple: since they could bring food from Earth, they would naturally bring large quantities, and they had added a little wager where each person would bring different foods, with the winner being whoever brought the most delicious or perfectly suited option for the situation.
They hadn’t wagered anything specific as a prize, but they had enthusiastically accepted Hanalin’s opinion that this alone could help reduce some stress.
Seeing that he was already looking forward to it, Dohyun smiled meaningfully, thinking it would be fun. Dohyun himself smiled with confidence, and all three of them looked at each other, each convinced that they would be the one to win.
In any case, once all three had gathered, they took their designated seats at the Association and entered the Black Gate.
It was the beginning of a voyage to seek treasure.
* * *
In the perilous depths of the Deep-sea Region where ocean currents raged with violent fury—a place so cold and lightless that even the faintest glow from above could not penetrate, transforming it into an abyss—there moved a solitary man, drifting unhurriedly through waters shrouded in murk.
His unremarkable features bore a resemblance to humanity, yet his ethnicity remained indeterminate—neither clearly East Asian nor Caucasian. His skin was not dark enough to suggest African descent, but his appearance alone offered no definitive clue to his true nature.
Thick hair covered his body, and his unkempt locks hung wild and untamed, giving him an appearance far from ordinary.
This man gazed toward the distant Safe Zone and exhaled a weary sigh.
Was this what they meant by fruit painted on a wall—beautiful but unreachable? Unable even to enter the Safe Zone before him, the man departed that place with a heavy heart.
Bearing neither weapon nor armor, he was suddenly attacked by a monster resembling an orca, but the man merely extended his hand with casual ease.
His hand seemed to scatter and vanish in an instant, and the orca-like monster’s head burst open where it stood.
Splurch.
The orca had perished far too easily, yet immediately after killing it, the man grasped a fragment of its flesh and brought it naturally to his mouth, tearing into it. Before the orca could disintegrate into powder, he consumed its remains, which temporarily eased his gnawing hunger.
But it was nowhere near enough to satisfy his prolonged starvation.
“….”
Without uttering a word, the man raised his gaze toward the place where ocean currents twisted together in terrifying chaos, then—without hesitation—hurled himself into that maelstrom of currents.
Though caught in the razor-sharp torrent of the ocean’s fury, the man bore not a single wound, surrendering his body to the currents as he drifted away into the depths.
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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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