My Alter Ego's Path to Greatness
"Six million…"
I narrowed my eyes, a predatory glint in them. An excellent result. Enough to proceed with the choice I had postponed.
『Dimensional Barrier Weakening (6,000,000)』
An option that reduced the gap between dimensions and weakened the restrictions placed upon the Awakened. I had postponed it due to a lack of Karma and the irresistible temptation of the 'random draw,' but…
'I have just enough points.'
This must be fate. There was no reason to hesitate.
'I need more time for Unique Skill Enhancement anyway. And I don't need anything else right now…'
I exhaled slowly and, feeling a strange compulsion, selected 『Dimensional Barrier Weakening』 for the second time.
The 6 million points vanished instantly—
"Hmm."
—and I instinctively felt a change. A strange sensation, as if something I hadn't been aware of before was reacting. But the feeling quickly faded, just like the first time.
'…Is that it?'
I knew something had changed, but I couldn't tell what or how much. I had expected it, but it was still a bit underwhelming.
'I just spent 6 million points.'
I felt a slight annoyance, but it couldn't be helped. I had to accept it.
'At least the existing functions seem to be enhanced.'
Woooong—
I nodded slowly, watching the platinum light flickering around my hand. The output was noticeably higher than before, even though I was using the same amount of power. The difference would be even more significant with greater power.
'Perhaps this will help me solve the Dragon Child problem.'
『Dimensional Barrier Weakening』 was like a hacking tool or an easter egg, granting me the ability to bypass some of the rules applied to all Awakened. Its very existence within the Karma Shop, a part of the system, was nonsensical.
'That's why it was hidden, unavailable to most.'
The requirement for the perk 「Karma Shop Ver.2 Update」 was having over 10 million unused Karma Points. Accumulating that many points was difficult enough, but how many would save them instead of using them? And the cost of the option itself was 5 or 6 million points…
'It's not something easily obtained. …Well, it doesn't matter now.'
The important thing was how it would be useful in the future. It seemed like the abilities available in Ganghwange alone weren't enough to solve the problem there.
I closed my eyes and clenched my fists.
"…Sacrifices, their fate decided before they were even born…"
A sense of frustration and inexplicable anger welled up within me, and I sighed heavily.
'This is infuriating. Ganghwange is my new cash cow. I can't just ignore this.'
I made up my mind. I didn't care about the Dragon God's will; I would do as I pleased. And I had a good chance of succeeding.
Saint Heinrich, a master of divine power; Hans, the Immortal King, standing at the pinnacle of dark magic and unholy mysteries; and Horus, the dragon, born with the blessings of the world. And Harris, the high elf, a conduit of nature; Heinz II, the True Blood vampire; and Harley, now imbued with yokai essence—all powerful heroes under my control. I couldn't just give up!
'I should focus more on Ganghwange. Now that Hans has taken over the Demonic Cult, the situation is similar to Auterica. I could use Ganghwange as a rehearsal for the home theater scenario.'
And I had to test the changes brought about by the second 『Dimensional Barrier Weakening』. It couldn't just be a simple enhancement, considering its cost. I had to understand my own abilities first.
'And yet…'
…unexpectedly…
…one of the additional effects of 『Dimensional Barrier Weakening』 manifested much sooner than I expected, in a completely unexpected place.
Through the hands of Howard, the dwarf craftsman, diligently hammering away in a world where time flowed ten times faster than on Earth.
Howard's daily routine was simple.
Hammer—! Clang—!
He hammered, ate, hammered again, took breaks with food and drinks, occasionally dabbled in metalworking or non-metal crafting, and hammered until it was time to sleep. A monotonous, repetitive routine.
But Howard never found it boring.
'Of course not! I can create anything I want; how could I be bored?'
It wasn't just because he was a dwarf. While that played a significant role, he was genuinely content.
'There's no better hobby.'
Creating things was a common, popular hobby. As if to prove his point, one side of his workshop was filled with his creations. A smooth, round shield with a star in the center, impractical weapons, accessories with questionable copyright status… Objects seemingly taken straight out of movies and games, perfectly replicated.
'They might look like that, but they're made with magic metals and other rare materials, so their actual performance isn't bad.'
He didn't create them just for fun. His primary focus was completing the All-Purpose Combat Powered Suit, nicknamed 'Titan'. But it wasn't as easy as he'd thought. While he had completed the limbs, he wasn't satisfied with the torso and head parts, which connected everything. He had started these side projects to hone his skills and refine his fundamentals, realizing his shortcomings.
Clang—! Clang—!
He was currently working on a massive two-handed greatsword. The blade, both long and wide, was larger than an adult woman. A rare treasure, made with meteoric iron from Ganghwange for its hardness and weight.
Clang—!
And suddenly…
'Huh?'
…he felt an unusual resistance from the metal. He paused, his caterpillar-like eyebrows twitching, then lifted his hammer and struck the metal again, instinctively using his skill 「Technological Revolution」.
Clang—! Clang—!
The rhythmic clang of his hammer resumed. But he felt uneasy.
'…What's this? Could it be…?'
A strange resistance from the metal. It was different from the meteoric iron, which had no mystical properties, just the inherent characteristics of the metal itself.
'The mysteries within the metal are awakening…?'
He knew the likely cause, but he couldn't believe it.
'No, I can't deny what's happening. If this is really…'
「Technological Revolution」 allowed him to manipulate and modify the structure of objects from other dimensions. But it had only been effective on minor aspects of magic tools, not the fundamental nature of the material itself.
Despite his racing thoughts, his body, trained through years of experience, moved instinctively. He placed the metal in the furnace, heating it, and continued hammering.
Whoosh—!
The furnace, its temperature maximized by 「Conductor of Fire and Metal」, roared, spewing blue flames. Even the specially crafted magic furnace was starting to melt from the intense heat, but he didn't care. The cost of the furnace was insignificant to Hubert, the owner of one of the largest trading companies on the continent.
His current priority was something else.
'I have to confirm the result.'
According to the laws governing dimensions, a magic tool from one world wouldn't function in another. Their fundamental structures were different. And this applied not only to completed magic tools, but also to materials containing otherworldly mysteries. A Ganghwange material, based on Qi, wouldn't function properly in Auterica, a world based on mana.
And yet…
…the 'impossible' was happening.
'If this applies to the finished product as well…'
Howard continued working, drenched in sweat, as if doused with water. Revolution. A dwarven instinct, a desire to witness the birth of something that defied common sense, drove him.
Clang! Hiss—
Forging, quenching, polishing…
All the processes flowed seamlessly.
And finally…
"Huh… Hehehe!"
Howard, his arm muscles bulging from 「Superhuman Strength」, lifted the massive greatsword, larger than his own torso, with both hands. A large, thick, and heavy double-edged greatsword. A weapon from an old cartoon, designed to slay dragons, perfectly replicated, imbued with a mystery that shouldn't exist in Auterica.
"I can't believe this is possible."
He stared at the greatsword in awe. This miracle wasn't solely due to 『Dimensional Barrier Weakening』. It was a combination of several factors: the material being refined by an Awakened, unbound by the world's laws; the Awakened possessing the skill 「Technological Revolution」; and his mastery of fusing materials from different worlds.
'…A magic tool that transcends dimensional boundaries.'
Howard narrowed his eyes, lost in thought. This weapon wasn't limited to Auterica. It would function just as well in Ganghwange, carrying the otherworldly mystery.
At that moment…
Whoosh—
…the flames in the furnace flickered violently. A tongue of fire shot out, wrapping around him before dissipating into the air.
"The individual has met the conditions for growth. Skills 「Metallurgy」 and 「Precision Crafting」 have fused and evolved into the Special Skill 「Golden Hands」."
"…The blessing of the furnace."
It was his third blessing. The God of Fire and Metal must have been impressed by his creation. Howard, still holding the greatsword, was overcome with emotion. If the first blessing was the minimum requirement to be called a 'craftsman' in dwarven society, the third blessing was the mark of a 'master craftsman.' His own master, Zaonik, was a master craftsman. He had reached a similar level in just a few years.
'Of course, there's still a significant difference in skill.'
But at this rate, it wouldn't be long before he became a true master. He took a deep breath, calming his excitement, and carefully set down the greatsword.
Then, his gaze shifted towards his other creations, displayed on the side. He had been proud of them, but…
"Tsk."
…now, they seemed unsatisfactory. He picked up one of his previous works, a short-handled hammer imbued with the power of lightning. He had been quite pleased with it at the time, but now it seemed like a flawed, gaudy piece.
"Let's make them again."
He muttered. His gaze wasn't just on the hammer. It was on all his creations, and…
…on the metal suit hanging on a mannequin stand.
The completed limbs, and the unfinished torso and head parts.
'If I add the Black Tortoise's shell and use a Yeouiju as the power source…'
Inspiration surged within him. He had a feeling.
The day of its completion wasn't far off.
His first harvest in Ganghwange had been incredibly fruitful.
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