Chapter 16: Chapter 16

[Translator - Night][Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 16: Obtaining a Class (2)

[Name: Kim Jiho

Class: Soul Mediator

Guardian Deity: Pollux, God of Gemini

Title: Bat Awakener

Level: 25

Strength: ? 13, Agility: ? 13, Mana: ? 13

SP: 998

Remaining Points: 3]

[Name: Kim Jiho

Class: Soul Plunderer

Guardian Deity: Aurelia, God of Volcanoes

Title: None

Level: 25

Body: D++, Mana: D++, Skills: D++, Luck: D++

SP: 998

Remaining Points: 3]

In the empty space where only the book and I remained after the guardian deities vanished, I checked my status window.

SP is supposed to be that important?

Doesn't feel that way yet…

[Soul Mediation has earned 0.01 SP from Pollux.]

[Soul Mediation has earned 0.03 SP from Pollux.]

[Soul Mediation has earned 0.01 SP from Aurelia.]

Notifications kept popping up.

SP earned in decimal points.

The SP earned from Pollux was added to the Order status window, and the SP from Aurelia was added to the Neutral status window.

Ugh, but these decimals are annoying.

Can’t I turn these notifications off?

[Would you like to disable soul mediation notification alerts?]

Oh.

Nice system AI.

Okay.

[Notifications disabled.] Sёarch* The nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Hmm... alright.

Watching SP slowly rise somehow made me feel good.

So, this is supposed to be an important resource?

Feels like free money.

Heh.

But how do I get out of here?

[If user Kim Jiho wishes, you may immediately return to the real world. However, it is recommended to stay until the adaptation period for the new class is over. The remaining time is 1 hour and 15 minutes.]

That makes sense.

Let’s check the guidebook.

It was written by someone who was a Warrior, so they might not know much about Soul Plunderer.

However, contrary to my expectations, the guidebook did contain information about Soul Plunderer.

The introduction began with the author explaining how they also obtained Soul Plunderer as a dual class at B-rank.

[Soul Plunderer is a class that absorbs SP each time you kill a monster. Not only SP, but their abilities and racial traits are absorbed through spiritual energy. At first, you might think, "What’s the big deal after going through so much trouble for this class?" But no. You can gain traits like a troll’s regeneration, an ogre’s strength, or a spirit’s elemental affinity just by hunting.]

Oh, so it’s absorption-based.

If I get all that, I might stop being human.

[SP can also be used to increase stat points. It’s tempting to use SP to boost stats immediately, but… there’s something more important to do first. You need to save 1,000 SP and buy a skill in the shop.]

A shop?

[SP has exceeded 1,000. The SP Shop is now accessible. Premium shop functionality is activated.]

Right on cue, a notification appeared.

Looks like I’ve collected 2 SP by rounding up decimal earnings.

[From now on, focus on purchasing the ‘Form Preservation’ skill. Without it, absorbing monster traits will cause your body and mind to turn monstrous. While at D-rank, absorption efficiency is lower, so you’ll have some time, but wasting SP on other things will be a disaster. Get Form Preservation first, no matter what.]

“Open the premium shop.”

[Opening the Premium Shop.]

A large system window appeared before me, resembling a computer monitor.

It was the largest I’d seen so far.

The screen looked like an online shopping mall, though much simpler and cleaner compared to Korean sites.

Closer inspection revealed that items were restricted by rank, with the “Rank Restriction” label prominently displayed on most items.

Ah, there’s almost nothing to buy like this.

“How do I find ‘Form Preservation’?”

When I muttered in frustration, the screen zoomed upward, and the magnifying glass icon was automatically pressed.

The search term “Form Preservation” appeared, and three items popped up in the results.

The seller was listed as the Premium Shop for all three.

[Basic Form Preservation LV1]

[Advanced Form Preservation LV1]

[Perfect Form Preservation LV1]

Prices were SP 500, 1,000, and 2,000, respectively.

If 2,000 SP is the total of both my status windows combined… sigh.

[You may want Perfect Form Preservation, but waiting until 2,000 SP risks monsterization. It’s painful, but settle for Advanced Form Preservation. The Basic version only protects the body’s form, so you need Advanced to protect the mind as well.]

Hmm.

Sounds like an important skill.

Let’s go for it.

Since SP comes for free, it’s better to get started on the right foot.

[A-rank skill ‘Perfect Form Preservation LV1’ has been acquired.]

[The user’s body retains its human form.]

[The user’s soul will not become corrupted even if it perishes.]

[Trait absorption efficiency increases by 50%.]

For an hour, I explored other skills, but they were mostly passive and didn’t require practice.

Skills like Infinite Vitality, Calm Mind, and Danger Detection were all passive.

Soul Mediation, Soul Plunder, and Trait Absorption were also automatic, effectively making them passive.

Soul Enhancement was a technique for raising max stats with SP, but since my current stats were far from their max, it didn’t seem immediately useful.

When time expired, a flash of light brought me back to the association building where I had taken the test.

Just like during the E-rank promotion, touching something like a dungeon core had sent me to the trial space.

“Kim Jiho, well done. Passing the D-rank promotion as a novice is unprecedented in human history.”

Looking around, I saw a crowd of people.

Not just people—there were elves and dwarves as well, all looking at me with amazement.

“Is that why there are so many people here?”

“Yes. Once the news spread, even High Elf Liana from New York decided to attend tomorrow’s D-rank hunter ceremony. Can you reveal your class name?”

Should I keep it a secret?

Oh.

Wait.

I can mediate for another guardian with Soul Mediator.

It might actually help to reveal it.

The guardian deities should recognize it.

“Soul Mediator.”

“Soul… Mediator? Does such a class exist?”

The association staff tilted their heads, even asking the elves for confirmation.

But the elves and dwarves looked utterly shocked.

Those watching from a distance suddenly rushed toward me.

“Is that true!?”

“No way! A special class!”

“Soul Mediator… I’ve been to countless worlds, but I’ve never seen such a class…”

Suddenly, an elf’s eyes glowed golden from afar.

The radiance was so majestic it startled me.

“The guardian confirms it.”

“They ask if a mediation contract is possible.”

"Soul Mediator, are you available for a brokerage contract? A guardian deity has taken a particular interest in you."

I was taken aback when the usually aloof and high-status elves and dwarves clamored to approach me.

Is a 10% efficiency boost really that significant?

“Well, I do have one spot left…”

“The guardian deity of Sagittarius, Chiron, has requested Soul brokage and offers a skill as a gift.”

“What can a mere minor deity like Chiron offer? Hephaestus, on the other hand, is offering an A-rank weapon.”

“Artemis is…”

“Ares is…”

What... what’s going on?

Suddenly, the gods I knew started to appear.

Aren’t these the top-tier gods of Greek and Roman mythology?

And now they’re trying to tempt me with gifts and skills.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Hah.

Are my guardian deities just freeloading off me?!

Aurelia gave me two decent skills, so she’s fine, but Pollux hasn’t given me a single thing.

Ah, geez.

Can I cancel him somehow?

[Pollux strengthens the Infinite Stamina skill.]

[The Infinite Stamina skill is now LV2.]

Ah... is this guy serious?

Is this the only skill he has?

Can’t he give me something else?

[Pollux insists that this is a truly excellent skill and urges you to try it, especially now that you have the Clear Mind trait.]

Sigh.

Fine.

I’ll give it a try.

He’s my guardian deity, after all.

I’ll trust him… just this once.

[Pollux gives you a thumbs-up, calling it an excellent choice.]

“All right, everyone, please calm down for a moment.”

The elves and dwarves were making such a racket, trying to auction off their guardian deities like it was a marketplace.

It was getting chaotic.

I clapped my hands loudly to settle the crowd.

Since I was in a position of power, they cautiously quieted down.

Wow, I’ve never felt like this before.

Fine.

Let’s just go with an auction format.

“There’s one slot left for Soul brokage. I’ll take bids tomorrow. For now, things are too disorganized, and I’m exhausted from today’s rank promotion. I’ll start accepting bids after the D-rank promotion ceremony tomorrow. Guild officials, please assist with the process.”

“Of course.”

The guild staff readily agreed, and the elves and dwarves reluctantly backed off, likely worried about ruining their chances if they pushed too hard.

I returned home and collapsed into bed.

When I woke up, new message notifications greeted me.

[You absorb 0.01% of the Orc Chief’s Strength trait during the Soul brokage process.]

[The Perfect Form Maintenance skill filters this absorption, converting the Orc Captain’s Strength trait into enhancements to your physical strength and stats. Any soul corruption is completely prevented.]

[Strength increases by 0.01.]

[Physical abilities increase slightly.]

Dozens of similar messages flooded my screen.

Orc Captain, Giant Spider, Bronze Golem, Kobold Mage…

They were the souls of boss monsters I’d encountered in E-rank dungeons.

The absorption rate was minuscule at 0.01%, but the cumulative effect was surprisingly good.

Just by sleeping, my Strength went up by 1.2, Agility by 0.8, and Magic by 0.5.

While my neutral faction stats remained at D++ rank, these small increments seemed likely to push me into the next tier eventually.

Even my SP had accumulated to 20.

Wow.

This feels like earning interest from a bank.

A total increase of 2.5 in Strength, Agility, and Magic—stats that usually require five level-ups—just from sleeping.

Hah, hard work pays off?

Nah, passive income is king.

I need to fill that last slot with a guardian deity ASAP to maximize these benefits.

One curious observation: trait absorption didn’t work while I was awake.

The skills didn’t seem to have any specific limitations to cause this.

Was it because Soul brokage and Soul Plunder were separate skills?

I wasn’t sure, but the takeaway was clear: Sleep to grow stronger!

“Once again, we are immensely proud of our newly promoted D-rank hunters,”

Said the association president during the promotion ceremony.

The auditorium was packed with 60 hunters who had been promoted this round.

But no one was really listening to the speech; their attention was focused on the back of the stage.

‘Wow, I thought regular elves were impressive, but this is on another level.’

‘Why is a High Elf here?’

‘A Special Class? What’s that?’

‘Classes have ranks too?’

The murmurs were understandable.

Among the guests seated at the back of the stage was none other than the world-renowned High Elf, Liana.

She was accompanied by other prominent elves and dwarves, but her ethereal beauty overshadowed everyone else.

Her platinum-blonde hair, even paler than that of regular elves, her elongated, pointed ears, and her face—impossibly captivating, the kind you couldn’t look away from once you saw it.

Even her hair and skin emitted a faint, radiant glow, enhancing her otherworldly aura.

Her expressionless face resembled a masterpiece of sculpture.

No, not even the finest sculptures could capture her perfection.

Men and women alike stared, slack-jawed, at High Elf Liana, utterly mesmerized.

Even Jinseong, that loudmouth, was drooling openly.

Thanks to my Clear Mind trait, I wasn’t quite as affected.

I just… couldn’t stop looking at her face.

Just… continuously.

“And now, we will begin the D-rank Hunter graduation ceremony.”

Clap, clap, clap.

With applause, each newly promoted hunter was called up to the stage to receive their D-rank badge from the association president.

No one really paid attention to the association president, though.

All eyes were on Liana.

Even Kang Shia, after receiving her badge, walked back to her seat muttering, “I lost…” silently.

You can’t win against a literal goddess, miss.

But wait—why haven’t they called my name yet?

“And finally, we invite Hunter Kim Jiho to the stage.”

The moment my name was called, the guests seated behind the stage all began clapping in unison.

Even Liana, for the first time, smiled faintly as she joined in.

As I stepped onto the stage to receive my badge, the association president clasped my hands tightly, refusing to let go.

“You’ve achieved remarkable feats, Hunter Kim Jiho. We are so fortunate to have you in our country. I know our guild has its shortcomings, but I hope you’ll remain in Korea out of patriotism.”

The association president’s heartfelt plea left me flustered.

It’s hard to ignore when someone your father’s age speaks like this.

“All right.”

“Thank you so much. Once the other D-rank hunters leave, we’ll begin the Soul Mediation auction. Please wait for a moment.”

As I nodded and stepped down, the association president personally escorted the other hunters out, thanking each of them individually.

When it was Kang Shia’s turn to leave, she stopped by my seat.

“You didn’t forget about dinner, right?”

“Of course not. I owe you.”

“Looks like you’ll be busy with the brokerage tonight, so here’s my card. Make sure to call me. Don’t you dare flake on me.”

“Got it. I always repay my debts.”

“Hehe, it’s a promise.”

She waved as she left.

How did she even know about the brokerage today?

Was it her family’s resources?

As she disappeared, I felt some piercing stares, but it was probably just envy from the other guys.

Even overshadowed by Liana, Kang Shia was still stunning.

Eventually, everyone else left, and the VIPs descended from the stage to take seats in the front row.

The association president personally led me back onto the stage.

With guild staff now securing the exits, he announced,

“We will now begin the Soul brokage auction.”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]