The Automatic Rooting Range Is Too Wide - Chapter 189

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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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Auto Looting Range Too Wide Episode 189

Episode 189: Mana Engine (4)

As the Quest completed, transformation began.
The darkness that had filled the chamber coalesced like clay, gradually taking on a human form.
Yet only the limbs materialized—the face remained unfinished.
The figure of darkness knelt on both knees, arms raised high above its head.
It resembled a child receiving punishment.
The only difference was that both arms were bound in chains.
[Gwahahaha!]
The figure of darkness erupted in maniacal laughter.
Heavy static distorted the sound, making it impossible to discern gender.
[I thought you were nothing but pigs obsessed with tribute. Yet you’ve managed to hide your claws quite well!]
The figure of darkness gazed upward into the void.
What was it looking at?
I wondered, but couldn’t know. This chamber held only darkness.
[You were fortunate this time! But don’t grow complacent! I shall return, mark my words!]
The figure of darkness clearly had failed at something.
Yet no sense of resentment colored its voice.
[Remember this! When I return, the world’s ruler shall change! You will bow before a new king!]
The form of darkness scattered into wisps.
The performance had ended.
Mincheol, the sole audience member, let out a dry chuckle at the absurdity.
There was no need to deduce who the figure of darkness had been.
It had to be Fallen Crescent.
And Fallen Crescent had made one thing abundantly clear.
When he returned, humanity would serve a new sovereign.
“So the divine seat Fallen Crescent coveted… was the position of Supreme Deity?”
Supreme Deity.
The king of all gods.
It wasn’t an unfamiliar concept.
Even on Earth, polytheistic religions always had a Supreme Deity.
Other dimensions were no different.
Any dimension with multiple gods necessarily had a Supreme Deity.
To aspire to godhood as a half-divine being.
“He’s far more insane than I gave him credit for.”
Mincheol clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Knowledge that Fallen Crescent possessed flooded into my mind.
Immediately after, a new message appeared before my eyes.

【You have acquired the skill ‘Heaven’s Rend’.】

At the same time, I returned to reality.

* * *

Upon returning to reality, the first faces I saw were Cardmos and Sihae Yeomhwa’s.
The two of them floated gently in mid-air, staring intently at me.
-Are you hurt anywhere?
-What was it like inside?
I explained everything I had experienced.
When they heard that I had collected memory fragments through Auto Looting, both of them reacted with bewilderment.
-Listen here. Honestly….
-Aren’t you just taking the easy way out?
I shrugged my shoulders.
What’s wrong with taking the easy way? Isn’t that a good thing?
-Did you meet Fallen Crescent?
I shook my head.
I had only seen Fallen Crescent’s memories; I hadn’t actually met him.
“But I did see his memories.”
I described the scenes I had witnessed.
After hearing my explanation, the two of them clicked their tongues and spoke.
-Coveting the seat of a god? He’s no ordinary madman.
-He’s thoroughly, completely insane.
Cardmos and Sihae Yeomhwa stared directly at each other.
As if to say, who are you to talk?
-It seems his sense of self hasn’t been restored, given that only memories were replayed.
“So will Fallen Crescent remain in that state forever?”
-It’s difficult to say for certain. You mentioned collecting memory fragments inside, correct? If you continue performing Quests, perhaps Fallen Crescent’s sense of self will eventually return someday.
“I see.”
In truth, even if he never returned, I wouldn’t have minded.
All I needed was to inherit the skill anyway.
‘Was there ever anything good about meeting him in the first place?’
From what I saw through his memories, Fallen Crescent was an extraordinarily arrogant person.
I already had my hands full with Cardmos alone—did I really need to deal with Fallen Crescent too?
That would be nothing but exhausting.
-Hmm, my ears are suddenly itching.
As Cardmos scratched his ear, Mincheol felt a chill run down his spine.
He’d only thought it to himself—how could this creature have sensed it?
To change the subject, Mincheol spoke to the two of them.
“Ah, would you like me to demonstrate the skill?”
-Yes, go ahead and use it.
-I’m curious too.
Rising from the bed, Mincheol activated the skill.

【Activating skill ‘Heavenly Rupture’.】

Vwuuung.
The distinctive vibration of the Mana Engine resonated through the air.
It was far quieter than what Kim Yeol-jin had wielded.
But the silence was deceptive.
The moment the skill activated, Mincheol felt as though molten lava erupted from within his body.
An immense force rippled across his entire frame.
A sense of omnipotence washed over him—as if a mere hop would let him brush the clouds.
“Ohhh….”
So this is what a Mana Engine truly is.
It was a skill he genuinely adored.
Yet the price was far from trivial.

【All stats increase.】
【Consumes 50 mana per second.】
【Consumes a small amount of health per second.】

Even though I’d only just activated the skill, I could feel myself growing rapidly exhausted.
It was peculiar.
It felt like I could do anything, yet at the same time, I was growing tired.
Mincheol deactivated the Mana Engine and spoke.
“Is the Mana Engine originally such a difficult skill to maintain?”
-What are you talking about?
“It consumes both mana and stamina simultaneously.”
-Huh? What do you mean?
-The Mana Engine only consumes mana.
Both of them tilted their heads in confusion.
Mincheol explained the message that had just appeared to him.
But the two of them focused on a different aspect.
-…All stats increase?
-Is that really true?
The two of them stared at each other with astonished expressions, exchanging opinions through their eyes.
-Normally, the stats that increase with a Mana Engine are predetermined.
“Is that so?”
-Rare grade increases one stat, Unique increases two, Legendary increases three. It’s not always the case, but that’s how it usually works.
Meanwhile, Gaecheon caused all stats to rise simultaneously.
-All stats increasing at once… Does that mean it’s on a different level from other Mana Engines from the entry stage itself?
-Or perhaps it lacks special abilities, and only focuses on stat increases.
-I hadn’t thought of that. What other abilities does it have?
Mana Engines were famous not only for raising stats but also for exhibiting various functions.
However, Gaecheon displayed none of those effects.
“It doesn’t seem to have any.”
-Hmm… So it really lacks other abilities and focuses solely on stat increases.
It was then that Cardmos was contemplating.
-…Would you try using it again?
“What? I’m exhausted to death.”
-Just for a moment.
It was a request from none other than Sihae Yeomhwa.
Mincheol had no choice but to activate Gaecheon again.
Vwooooom—
A vibration sound began resonating through the apartment once more.
Sihae Yeomhwa placed her hand on Mincheol’s chest.
Through her palm, Mincheol felt something flowing into him.
‘Mana?’
The mana that Sihae Yeomhwa had injected flowed through Mincheol’s body as if it possessed consciousness.
When Mincheol frowned at the unpleasant sensation.
Vwoooooom—
The vibration grew louder, and the mana Sihae Yeomhwa had injected scattered into the air.
At the same moment, my mana reserves filled slightly.
“What?”
-What?
Both of them wore expressions of surprise simultaneously.
However, Sihae Yeomhwa seemed far more astonished than Mincheol.
-I… lost control of my inner power…?
Sihae Yeomhwa appeared to have received a profound shock.
-Woman, what does this mean?
-…The mana I injected into my disciple scattered, and was instead absorbed back into them.
-What?
Cardmos was equally astounded.
Mincheol, listening intently, asked with a puzzled expression.
“Why are you all so shocked about this?”
-…Have you forgotten who this woman is?
The Martial Arts Realm.
Among the dimensions that existed within the Tower, it was particularly formidable.
Sihae Yeomhwa ranked among the top three absolute masters of the Martial Arts Realm.
-While she does not compare to this body, this woman’s strength is far from ordinary.
-What do you mean?
-Such a being lost control of her mana to an Awakened from the Lower Layer. Do you truly believe such a thing possible?
Now that it was put that way, it was no ordinary matter.
-Now you understand the power of the Mana Engine.
It seizes the strength of others and makes it your own.
It was a skill worthy of being called a technique that defies heaven itself.
What deserved attention was that this was merely the ability at the beginner stage.
As you progress through the Memory Stones’ Quests, more abilities will unlock.
Then what form would the completed Mana Engine take at the end?
-…Indeed, you possess the qualifications to covet the seat of a god.
Cardmos’s voice carried a faint sense of reverence.

* * *

After that, Cardmos and Sihae Yeomhwa returned to the Memory Stones.
They claimed to be exhausted from manifesting for too long.
“Master! Dinner is ready!”
Just in time, dinner preparations had been completed.
Tonight’s meal was a hamburger steak that Bokdol-i had carefully prepared by mincing beef and pork.
Thanks to the perfect ratio of beef and pork, it had a satisfying chew while remaining incredibly tender.
Bokdol-i watched Mincheol eat with evident satisfaction.
“Bokdol-i, do you have any information about the 35th Floor?”
During the meal, Mincheol asked Bokdol-i a question.
To participate in the World Game preliminaries, one first had to become a Middle Layer Awakened.
So for now, I intended to focus on climbing the Tower.
“Ah, you’re trying to gather information before challenging the 35th Floor? That’s an excellent approach! Not neglecting preparation is the virtue of an Awakened! You’re truly remarkable, Master!”
Praise poured out from just a simple question.
Mincheol felt a bit smug before suddenly startling himself.
‘Wait, I’ve fallen for Bokdol-i’s flattery without even realizing it.’
Praise came from Bokdol-i as naturally as breathing, so there was no need to read too much into it.
“Of course I’ve investigated. On the 35th Floor, a Manager interview awaits you.”
“An interview?”
That was truly unexpected.
The Tower was that kind of place originally, but this was even more so.
“To understand why that happens, you need to know about the 36th-40th Floors. Those floors don’t proceed individually—they all proceed together. It’s exactly like the Mercenary Layer and Defensive Layer you experienced before!”
“So the entire floor is one?”
“Yes! On the 36th-40th Floors, the Awakened drives the story. Your clear rank is determined by what results you achieve there!”
“I see.”
Mincheol listened carefully to Bokdol-i’s explanation while taking another bite of hamburger steak.
“But apparently the difficulty is extremely high. That’s why the Manager tests your qualifications on the 35th Floor.”
“So you could fail?”
“That’s right. There are even Awakened who’ve been stuck for over a year. This person is registered in the Guinness Book!”
“Quite the unusual floor indeed.”
The mention of a test made me slightly anxious.
I’d never scored particularly well on tests throughout my life.
“But what kind of floor are the 36th-40th Floors?”
“I knew you’d ask! You’re someone who’s both cautious and thorough, Master!”
“W-well, yes.”
“The 36th-40th Floors are the Martial Arts Realm! You don’t need me to explain what the Martial Arts Realm is, right?”
Mincheol nodded.
“On the 36th-40th Floors, the Awakened will undertake a competition for the Treasure Map.”
“Treasure Map?”
“Think of it as a map! It’s said to contain the location where the martial techniques of an absolute being called Cheon-ma are buried!”
“Cheon-ma?”
Mincheol’s eyes widened sharply.
Anyone who had conducted even the slightest investigation into the Martial Arts Realm would recognize that name instantly.
The founder of the Cheon-ma Divine Cult, a colossal force that dominated a major pillar of the Martial Arts Realm.
Cheon-ma was the figure revered as the greatest of all ages.
Even nearly a thousand years after his death, Cheon-ma remained a figure of immense influence over the Martial Arts Realm.
How else could his name have been transmitted to Earth through countless records, even after the Martial Arts Realm’s collapse?
“So the Heavenly Treasure Sword competition is about obtaining it?”
“Ah, that’s impossible.”
“Impossible?”
“The Heavenly Treasure Sword is shattered into fragments and scattered everywhere. Multiple factions within the Martial Arts Realm are currently fighting to gather these scattered pieces.”
“I see.”
“Depending on how the Awakened acts within this chaotic situation, the grade you receive upon clearing will vary.”
“Still, there must have been attempts to gather all the fragments.”
“There were attempts, but they all failed. Especially the Qiuchuan Alliance from China—they staked their reputation and challenged it for over ten years. In the end, they gave up.”
The Qiuchuan Alliance was a mega-sized guild that was closely pursuing the United States’ Helios, ranked first in the world.
The fact that even such a powerhouse had attempted it deliberately and failed was staggering.
“For reference, the current highest clear grade is S-rank.”
“That’s quite high, isn’t it?”
“Master, you’ll be able to achieve an even higher score! I’ve already investigated all the databases from other guilds! Once I compile all the information, I’ll show you the route that will guarantee the best possible result!”
“Right, I trust only you.”
As Mincheol spoke and brought another forkful of hamburger steak to his mouth, a sudden thought occurred to him.
An idea that came out of nowhere.
‘…What if I just brought the Heavenly Treasure Sword fragments using Auto Looting?’
The problem was that the Heavenly Treasure Sword was torn to shreds.
Undoubtedly, each piece would be in a different form.
If that were the case, wouldn’t it be impossible to recover the remaining fragments using Auto Looting even after obtaining one piece?
‘But the Goblin’s equipment had slightly different forms, and I brought all of it.’
Previously, Mincheol had used Auto Looting to collect a massive amount of Goblin equipment.
Since this wasn’t a game, even identical weapons had slightly different forms.
Taking armor as an example, some pieces were too large, others too small, and some had sections torn away.
‘Then wouldn’t the Heavenly Treasure Sword fragments also be retrievable through Auto Looting?’
Suddenly, the hamburger steak caught his attention.
Mincheol cut the hamburger steak into different shapes.
He selected one piece and designated it with Auto Looting.

【Acquiring all ‘hamburger steak pieces’ within a 1.2km radius.】
【Acquiring 5 ‘hamburger steak pieces’.】

Mincheol’s eyes widened dramatically.

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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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