My Alter Ego's Path to Greatness
Creak— Thump!
A heavy thud echoed as something massive landed on the floor. A spacious gym, filled with exercise equipment, large enough for dozens of people to train simultaneously, yet only one person was using it. It was only natural.
This private gym was built for him alone.
"Haa…"
He set down the custom-made barbell, wiped the sweat from his face with a towel, and reached for a bottle of liquid.
Gulp— Gulp—
"Ahh!"
The cool liquid quenched his thirst, and a surge of energy revitalized his exhausted cells, his depleted stamina rapidly recovering.
"Effective."
While the near-miraculous effect would surprise others, it was nothing special to him. Just a part of his daily routine.
'World Tree leaves, indeed. They're used in elixirs for a reason.'
He set down the bottle, its contents derived from World Tree leaves, and stretched. It was a common ingredient in high-grade potions and elixirs made by elves, its restorative properties well-known.
'Of course, I adjusted the concentration for balance.'
Relying too much on such supplements, even with beneficial ingredients, wasn't good for physical conditioning. Boosting his 「Robustness」 and activating 「Super Regeneration」 was enough to support his training.
"This is quite extravagant."
He chuckled. A sports drink made from precious World Tree leaves… The elves of the Elven Kingdom would probably faint if they knew.
'Well, I've done a lot for them. They won't complain about this much.'
He owed them much more than that. He was practically raiding their World Tree byproducts storage. Though he was regularly collecting them in bulk, disguised as retrieving stored items.
He ignored the imaginary complaints of the World Tree gardeners and looked around his private gym. His extravagance wasn't limited to the drinks.
"Hmm, excellent."
The spacious gym was filled with exercise equipment, both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Each piece was handcrafted by Howard, the dwarf. Custom-designed based on modern exercise equipment principles, using rare materials and forged by a dwarven master, they were unique, high-quality masterpieces.
A weightlifter's paradise.
'The training is more effective than before.'
He nodded slowly. It wasn't just his imagination. Howard's 「Artisan's Soul」, a dwarven secret technique, maximized an object's potential through craftsmanship, pushing it into the realm of magic tools. It was only natural that exercise equipment crafted by him, giving his all, would be far superior to mass-produced products.
"That's all for today."
Having finished his daily training routine, he stood before a mirror. Sculpted muscles covered his bare upper body, their definition enhanced by his low body fat percentage.
'Of course, I'm no match for our sturdy Harley or Heinrich.'
They were exceptions, beyond comparison. How could a home-trained body compare to a mutant born with monstrous physique and a paladin at the pinnacle of physical conditioning?
But his own body wasn't something to be scoffed at either. His body, enhanced by vast amounts of Karma and honed through rigorous training since acquiring 「Super Regeneration」, was far beyond that of an ordinary human. Combined with skills like 「Superhuman Strength」 and 「Hypersensitivity」, he could easily take down low-level returnees with his bare hands.
'But that's not enough.'
Returnees not only had Unique Skills but also carried the mystical energies of their respective worlds within them. He, on the other hand, hadn't been to another world, so he shouldn't be able to use any special 'energy', but…
Clench!
He tightened his fist. A powerful force surged within him. It wasn't just physical strength.
Woooong—
A dark red flame ignited around his fist. 「Bio-Aura」, an ability that converted his bio-energy into explosive destructive power.
But he didn't stop there.
As the dark red flame vanished, a brilliant platinum divine power flickered around his hand. Then, a black, abyss-like demonic energy, a bloody, viscous aura, a gentle, all-encompassing natural energy, and finally, a heavy, substantial internal energy… all manifested in turn.
He nodded in satisfaction, having cycled through various energies in just a few breaths.
'Excellent.'
His consistent training of the passive enhancement effect of 「Avatar Projection」 had paid off. While not as strong as when used by the avatars themselves, the ability to channel any energy at will was a significant advantage. And since he wasn't using stored energy, no one could detect his Awakened status until he unleashed his power.
'And with Heinz II's 「Non-Existence」, no one would suspect a thing.'
No noticeable energy or unusual presence? Even the Heavenly Demon, who had seen through Hugo's disguise, wouldn't be able to detect him.
'And I can always use 「Avatar Projection」 if necessary.'
He wouldn't be in any danger. Though he wouldn't put himself in such situations in the first place.
After showering, he relaxed in his massage chair, as usual.
"Haa…"
He closed his eyes, enjoying the massage, and organized his thoughts. Everything was proceeding smoothly, both in Auterica and Ganghwange. He focused his attention on the recently concluded operation.
'The Demonic Cult is more or less taken care of. There are still remnants, but now that Hans has their headquarters, it shouldn't take long to eliminate them.'
Hans, having single-handedly attacked the Demonic Cult, had completely taken over their base. A forceful takeover, backed by overwhelming power and a terrifyingly dense demonic energy. The Demonic Cult members had tried to resist, but they lacked leadership.
'Those who attacked the Shaolin Temple haven't returned yet.'
Nor had the other elite units dispatched to capture the Dragon Children. Even the Demonic Cult's second-in-command, the Military Advisor, was absent. Their headquarters was practically empty. While they seemed to have prepared defenses, with yokai jiangshi and various formations and spells…
'…those are only effective against ordinary enemies.'
Unfortunately for them, Hans, the otherworldly Demon King who had descended upon Ganghwange, wasn't an ordinary enemy. Thanks to that, all their preparations, including the jiangshi, had fallen into his hands.
"Hmm, I'll leave it to Hans. Even if they're slightly different, the Demonic Cult is still part of the demonic faction."
Dealing with them was Hans's specialty. He was a veteran, having led the Immortal Army for years. He would probably eliminate the remaining Demonic Cult members before they even realized what was happening.
'The Golden Island is… also going well. They're actively supporting Horus, perhaps because of the Demonic Cult's resurgence.'
Horus's current focus was on synergizing the Yeouiju and the Dragon Heart. Using the two powerful cores separately was inefficient.
'He has enough energy. A dual-core system would be the most efficient.'
But his understanding of spellcasting was lacking compared to his magic knowledge. He needed to improve that for a solution. It would take time.
'…Time is on our side. With Hans occupying the Demonic Cult, we have more time than the Golden Island expects. Securing the Dragon Children is our priority.'
As he'd suspected, there were no living Dragon Children at the Demonic Cult's headquarters. They had been searching for and kidnapping Dragon Children, but they used them as sacrifices to enhance their power, not wanting the Dragon Heart to be restored. That was how the Heavenly Demon was able to use the Society Master's divine power without significant drawbacks, and how the orthodox martial artists' internal energy was disrupted.
'They were chosen to rebuild the Dragon Heart, the greatest mystery of Ganghwange. They would have been perfect sacrifices.'
He frowned. The situation was more complicated than he'd initially thought. He didn't know how many Dragon Children there were, but it couldn't be many.
'They're born frail, so those born into poverty probably wouldn't survive to adulthood. And with the Demonic Cult interfering…'
He didn't know how many Dragon Children were needed for the ritual. But the more, the better. It would be a waste if he found a solution, but there weren't enough Dragon Children.
'I need to be more proactive. Their strategy is to bring them to their headquarters and sacrifice them, but they might change their minds along the way.'
Harley, currently enjoying his sightseeing tour of the Golden Island, could handle that. He had been looking for an excuse to fight and collect more genetic material, but after his fight with Dool, everyone was avoiding him. It was understandable, considering his rampage in his massive, ten-meter-tall form.
'That doesn't matter anymore. I found plenty of cores filled with yokai essence at the Demonic Cult's lab.'
The two factions had been hunting each other in the shadows. The Demonic Cult's headquarters had a vast collection of their spoils, including parts from high-ranking yokai, so-called divine beasts.
'The Black Tortoise's shell, the Kirin's horn, even a dragon's Yeouiju… A true treasure trove.'
There was no time to waste. He shifted his focus to his last avatar in Ganghwange.
Hugo, returning with the Zhuge Clan. Thanks to Harley eliminating most of the hostile factions along their route, their journey was surprisingly peaceful. They would have been attacked if they hadn't been traveling quickly with their defenses down.
"They should arrive soon."
While it was a bit late, the information he obtained from them would be helpful in tracking down the remaining Dragon Children. He focused his attention on them briefly, then looked away. He had a good grasp of the current situation. Now, only one thing remained. The most important task.
'Calculating the profits.'
He couldn't stop his lips from twitching. The Karma flow from Auterica was stable, but he had high expectations for Ganghwange, considering the recent events.
"…Oh?"
His Karma Points balance after his last 'random draw' before the Murim Alliance gathering, which yielded 「Mimicry」 and other skills, had been around 3.6 million…
『Karma Points - 6,212,830』
…and now…
Cultivating a new cash cow had been a resounding success.
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