Chapter 363: 777
[Chapter 199]
[Misjudgment]
Goeshini was subjugated.
There was no 5th phase.
Even so, players remained vigilant, just in case.
Fortunately, that didn't last long.
Jung Ha-yang completed the mana stone analysis.
"─I can't confirm if it's Goeshini, but there's a very high chance it's a 3rd rank monster's mana stone."
The mana stone that had fallen where the 4th phase Goeshini disappeared.
She cross-verified the mana stone with other navigators, putting an end to the players' anxiety.
They let out sighs of relief.
"The 5th Communication Platoon will clean up the surroundings. As soon as this is done, tell the squad leaders they can take a rest..."
"Yes, I understand. Clan Lord, do you have anything else to say?"
"Hmm.... Tell them not to let their guard down just because we've defeated Goeshini. This is still Uijeongbu, after all. We don't know what might happen."
The platoons that took the lead in subjugating Goeshini were the 2nd Supply Platoon and the 2nd Attack Platoon.
The 5th Communication Platoon had only provided support to these two platoons.
As a result, the platoon members still had strength left.
So Regulus Clan Lord Koo Yeon-su had them finish off the remaining monsters in the surrounding area.
Due to the recent battle, spatial distortions were occurring here and there, causing new monsters to be born, and monsters that sensed the commotion were also gathering.
"Ah... I'm completely drained."
"Papa, pipi pupu..."
"Yeah, you must be tired too. You did well. Rest up."
Meanwhile, Eun-ha finally slumped to the ground.
He had pushed himself quite hard.
His legs wouldn't support him.
It felt like he had used up a day's worth of energy.
No, it felt like he had used up tomorrow's energy too.
The backlash from <Amplification> along with the gift's backlash is no joke.
Eun-ha smiled bitterly.
Even though he had experienced this backlash several times already, it never got easier.
Moreover, the backlash from declaring the sacred domain was also hitting him.
"Ugh..."
<Heroic> and <Amplification>.
If these two gifts brought physical pain as backlash.
Declaring the sacred domain brought mental pain as backlash.
As a result, two indescribable pains were hitting him.
It's less severe compared to when I fought Sindorim, but pain is still pain in the end. Damn it....
At least it's fortunate the clan members don't have backlash..., ugh....
Eun-ha gritted his teeth.
He clenched his fists tightly.
He didn't want to show his clan members the sight of him writhing from the backlash.
He didn't want to worry them.
Above all, there were other players present.
He couldn't reveal his weakness.
He had to appear calm.
"Puu..."
"...I'm sorry. I'll cut off the pass."
"Pipi..."
Just then, Buldak let out a groan.
Buldak lay sprawled on top of Eun-ha's head with its wings spread out.
Buldak, who shared emotions with Eun-ha.
Through the pass, Buldak was sharing the mental pain Eun-ha was feeling right now.
Eun-ha belatedly realized this and apologized to Buldak.
He cut off the pass.
"Pupu..."
Only then did Buldak's restlessness cease.
Buldak quickly fell asleep.
By that time, Roh Eun-ah and Iriya, who had recovered their mana using mana recovery potions, approached.
"Eun-ha? You're really okay, right? You're not hurt anywhere? Let me see."
"Lord.... You must be in a lot of pain. I'll quickly cast a spell on you. I can't make you completely numb to the pain, but it should at least lessen it."
"...It's not to the point of dying. I can, somewhat, bear it."
"Your face says otherwise, what do you mean somewhat? Rest quickly. The rest of us can handle the remaining work, so don't worry."
"I should. But after I finish organizing things..."
While receiving treatment from Roh Eun-ah and Iriya.
Eun-ha struggled to his feet.
A short distance away, people with high authority in commanding each platoon were talking.
"Ah, Pandora Clan Lord. Good work. If it weren't for the Pandora Clan Lord, we probably would have had many casualties. Thanks to you, I hear there weren't many casualties."
"I'm glad to hear that. But what were you talking about just now?"
"We were just discussing how to roughly distribute the spoils obtained from this subjugation operation. I was about to ask you about it, actually. Good timing."
Regulus Clan Lord Koo Yeon-su.
He welcomed Eun-ha.
Present were people with high command authority in the platoons, including Kang Hyeon-cheol and Park Hye-rim.
In the case of the 2nd Supply Platoon, Mok Min-ho and Jung Ha-yang were there.
Soon, Eun-ha was able to hear the situation from Mok Min-ho.
Since three platoons participated in the subjugation operation, there was a need to discuss how to distribute the spoils.
For spoils that can be converted to money, like mana stones, we can just calculate later and divide according to merit points.
So we just need to decide whether to receive them as spoils or as money....
Excluding earnings outside of operations.
Basically, spoils obtained during operations were distributed according to the method proposed by the Mana Management Organization.
So the spoils obtained this time should also be distributed according to the Mana Management Organization's method.
Strictly calculate merit points for each platoon and distribute fairly according to ability.
The problem was with spoils that were difficult to convert to numbers, desirable to everyone, but rare and difficult to divide.
"So what else came from Goeshini besides the mana stone? I guess a skill stone came out?"
Eun-ha immediately hit the core issue.
They knew each other to some extent.
There was no need for formalities.
The distribution of spoils had to be done immediately to avoid complications later.
He didn't want to fight with the two clans over spoils distribution after the Uijeongbu Recapture War ended.
Regulus and Blaze Clans seemed to feel similarly.
They answered without minding.
"One skill stone came out. The Blaze Clan Lord is holding it."
"Here it is."
Kang Hyeon-cheol handed over the skill stone.
Eun-ha carefully examined the skill stone that came into his hand.
If it's the same as before the regression.... It probably contains providence related to handling shadows.
The skill stone was small.
Nevertheless, the providence residing in the small gem couldn't be ignored.
If it was identical to before the regression, the skill stone would contain the providence of the 4th phase Goeshini.
It was a providence useful for deploying magic related to shadows.
And Twenty-five had used that providence to enhance his espionage abilities.
Back then too, there were various opinions on how to distribute the skill stone. Then Twenty-five showed particularly good aptitude compared to other players....
Eun-ha was lost in reminiscence.
He gripped the skill stone tightly.
"..."
Honestly, he was tempted.
Goeshini's providence was very useful.
If it wasn't different from his previous life, this would be helpful to him in some way.
Conversely, if Goeshini's providence fell into someone else's hands, it would become troublesome.
Soon Eun-ha reached a conclusion.
"Hey, what are you doing now..."
"What do you mean what am I doing? I'm trying to check the skill stone compatibility."
""""...."""
Since the skill stone was already in his hand.
Eun-ha infused mana into the skill stone before others could stop him.
His brow furrowed involuntarily.
Manifesting mana was arduous.
Fortunately, only a small amount of mana was needed for the skill stone compatibility test.
It didn't take long.
─Whoosh!
From within his clenched hand.
Yellow light leaks out.
The skill stone acknowledged Eun-ha.
It is indeed the providence of handling shadows.
Eun-ha smiled with satisfaction.
In his previous life too, the skill stone had responded to him.
However, for Eun-ha who fought utilizing agility, a providence requiring control like handling shadows didn't suit him very well.
Moreover, the skill stone showed an even greater response to Twenty-five.
So Eun-ha had readily given it up.
In any case, he had gained justification.
"─Here. Blaze Clan Lord, you should check it too."
"Hey, you shouldn't carelessly touch skill stones above 4th rank. And it's small too..."
"That's right, Pandora Clan Lord. If you accidentally absorb the providence of the skill stone, that becomes another headache. Especially since the skill stone is so small..."
"Never mind that, both of you hurry and check it."
""""...."""
Eun-ha withdrew his mana from the skill stone and handed it to Kang Hyeon-cheol.
At this, Kang Hyeon-cheol and Koo Yeon-su made sour expressions.
In cases where there was room for controversy in distribution, carelessly infusing mana into a skill stone was considered bad manners.
Nevertheless, Eun-ha didn't mind.
Rather, he urged the two to try the aptitude test as well.
"Ah, whatever. Let's just do it!"
"This guy really... What if we follow suit just because the Pandora Clan Lord did it?"
"Ha, Blaze Clan Lord. Be gentle. Don't accidentally absorb the providence residing in the skill stone."
Since Eun-ha did it, they couldn't not do it.
The two clan lords had to resign themselves.
They also conducted the compatibility test.
In Kang Hyeon-cheol's case, it was as expected.
"Ugh... Why isn't this glowing?"
"What do you mean why isn't it glowing? Of course if it doesn't glow, it means it doesn't match your aptitude. Let go of it."
"Tch."
The skill stone showed no reaction to Kang Hyeon-cheol.
It was the same in his previous life.
"─I have an aptitude for it."
""""...."""
But Koo Yeon-su's aptitude couldn't be predicted.
And the result was that he had an aptitude for it.
Nevertheless, Eun-ha didn't panic.
Rather, seeing this as an opportunity, he opened his mouth.
"Unfortunately, since the Blaze Clan Lord doesn't show aptitude for the skill stone... Shouldn't the two of us discuss who should take it?"
With Kang Hyeon-cheol not showing aptitude, Eun-ha could naturally exclude the 2nd Attack Platoon from the distribution targets.
Now all that remained was the 5th Communication Platoon.
But since the 2nd Attack Platoon was hopelessly excluded, Koo Yeon-su's influence to argue about skill stone distribution had greatly diminished.
This was because the units that greatly contributed to subjugating Goeshini were the 2nd Supply Platoon and the 2nd Attack Platoon.
If the three platoons had discussed, they might have somehow squeezed in as a third party.
But with the 2nd Attack Platoon being excluded, even that possibility was gone.
"Ugh.... Pandora Clan Lord. Do you have to be so cunning?"
"I'm just too tempted. To be honest, I want to receive compensation for all this trouble we went through to subjugate Goeshini up to the 4th phase."
"Right, it can't be helped. We can't deny Pandora Clan's great contribution to defeating Goeshini..."
Koo Yeon-su let out a groan.
Unlike the dim-witted Kang Hyeon-cheol, he saw through Eun-ha's intentions.
There were plenty of ways to turn around this unfavorable atmosphere for himself.
But he chose not to engage in a petty argument with Eun-ha and decided to give in.
This was partly because Alice Group was behind Eun-ha.
Above all, he couldn't ignore Eun-ha's contributions.
If it were Blaze Clan, it would have been different, but Regulus Clan with little contribution had no right to protest.
In the end, he decided to go along with Eun-ha's scheme.
"Instead, you two distribute Goeshini's mana stone between yourselves. We're not so shameless as to touch the mana stone."
"Ugh..., alright, let's call it even with that. If we don't get Goeshini's mana stone, let's agree that we get priority in distributing skill stones from 4th rank monsters."
"Yes, let's do that."
Even so, Eun-ha couldn't be too greedy.
He had to give them something and maintain their dignity.
Eun-ha decided to yield Goeshini's mana stone to them.
Anyway, the spoils I'm expecting from the recapture war aren't mana stones but the artifacts here.
He had plenty of mana stones.
And plenty of money.
While 3rd rank mana stones were excellent, 4th rank mana stones one step below weren't bad either.
Originally, all mana stones of 3rd rank or higher obtained from the Uijeongbu Recapture War had to be sold to the government.
They were used as materials for cocoons.
If one wanted to keep a mana stone, they had to negotiate with the Fairy Government and buy it back at a premium.
So Eun-ha claimed the more practical skill stone instead of the mana stone.
Still, it was worth the effort.
Now I can rest easy.
Anyway, the tasks that needed to be done were finished.
The role of the 1st Supply Platoon is also over.
All that's left is to relax until the Uijeongbu Recapture War ends.
And also─.
─Now that our job is done, it's time for farming.
I should rest, clear out some monsters around Uijeongbu Station, and then go farming.
Other platoons are probably still busy carrying out their missions.
But for the platoons that finished the mission of subjugating Goeshini, a pleasant time awaited.
It's farming time.
Perhaps thinking similarly to Eun-ha, the corners of people's mouths were turned up.
"─Hey, Pandora Clan Lord. I'm telling you this because we're close, want to farm together?"
"I don't think I'm close with the Blaze Clan Lord. And why farm together? It's inefficient."
"There are spoils we hid during the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture War somewhere around here. They might have disappeared after so much time, but if we search carefully, we might find something."
"And?"
"What do you mean 'and'? It'll be hard to find the lost spoils with just our strength, so I'm asking for help. We'll compensate you generously. Deal?"
"Deal."
Just then, Kang Hyeon-cheol whispered.
For a crazy squid, it was a tempting offer.
Eun-ha accepted his proposal.
Meanwhile, he was harboring different thoughts in his mind.
Kang Hyeon-cheol's offer was merely additional income for Eun-ha.
The main income was─.
"─And after that, how about we have an exciting sword fight..."
"Find someone else."
"Tch. I thought you might be thinking of something else so I tried probing, but it didn't work at all."
"I'm not someone with a slow mind like the Blaze Clan Lord."
Somewhere around here.
There should be artifacts that On Tae-yang's party discovered before the regression.
Those would be the juicy main income.
☆
That night.
The 3rd Attack Platoon decided to spend the night in the direction of Jageum-dong.
"─Reporting to the Zenith Clan Lord. Today at 4:28 PM, the 2nd Supply Platoon, 2nd Attack Platoon, and 5th Communication Platoon have subjugated Goeshini."
"...I see. So they've subjugated it."
Zenith Clan Lord <First Sword>.
Ji Yong-hyeon, commanding the 3rd Attack Platoon, received the report from the navigator.
Goeshini had been subjugated.
It was good news.
The recapture war was progressing according to plan.
No─.
─They subjugated it faster than I thought.
He had expected them to spend quite some time engaged in urban warfare with Goeshini.
It was progressing too smoothly.
This meant that the players' skills had improved significantly.
At the same time─.
"─Who was the player who contributed the most to subjugating Goeshini?"
"Yes, it's reported to be Pandora Clan Lord <Crimson Wings> Roh Eun-ha."
"I see, so it was him after all."
Pandora Clan.
A clan that had built a reputation comparable to S-rank clans in just 5 years.
Ji Yong-hyeon nodded upon hearing the Pandora Clan Lord's name from the navigator's mouth.
It was understandable, given the presence of a monstrous player like Roh Eun-ha.
Even when <Yamma> appeared.
Even when <Thunder Emperor> appeared.
It wasn't to this extent.
Roh Eun-ha was in a league of his own.
That's why the recapture war was progressing smoothly.
"...It was like this back then too."
"Pardon? What do you mean..."
"Back then, we thought we would succeed too. But it was dramatically overturned at the last moment."
Nevertheless, Ji Yong-hyeon couldn't shake off an uneasy feeling.
As someone who had experienced the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture War, he felt a sense of déjà vu.
"Is there any other information?"
"Ah, there's one more thing. Ishimi has also been subjugated..."
Ji Yong-hyeon approached the window.
While listening to the navigator's report.
He looked out the window.
"..."
Under the dark blue night sky.
In the distance, red armor was visible.
The 3rd rank monster Crimson Knight.
A monster with no particular information.
Even when they sent out a reconnaissance team to get closer, the monster didn't react and just stood in place, they said.
As a result, the 3rd Attack Platoon couldn't gather any information.
Not knowing anything about the corps commander made them uneasy.
"─I hope there won't be any unexpected situations like back then..."
Tomorrow, they would go to attack that monster.
Hoping for a smooth attack.
Ji Yong-hyeon murmured softly.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone