บท 346: 760
[Chapter 194]
[Pandora Clan Disclosure (2)]
"─Clothes! Clothes! Someone bring me clothes to wear first! I can't move like this!"
Various magic was imbued in the clan uniform.
But it seemed Jin Seo-na's activated gift caused confusion to the imbued magic and stopped its functions.
So when Jin Seo-na's body grew larger, the clan uniform couldn't withstand it.
It's fortunate the uniform didn't tear in a catastrophe at least.
Eun-ha was nonchalant like that.
But Jin Seo-na herself screamed seeing her appearance.
She sat on the floor, covered her open uniform with both arms and shouted.
No Eun-ah, Han Seo-hyeon, and Jeong Ha-yang rushed in and covered her with clothes.
Shortly after, staff brought suitable clothes from somewhere.
Only then could Eun-ha and Choi Eun-hyeok enter too.
"Why hanbok of all things..."
"Hanbok has a large fit. Moreover, we don't have clothes that can accommodate 3 tails prepared."
"Ugh... It'll be harder to wear clothes in this state. I won't have to live with 3 tails forever, right..."
Jin Seo-na wrapped in a light pink hanbok.
She looked back at her swollen hips that couldn't come out of the clothes and made a crying face.
Fortunately, the hanbok's fit was so large that the inside couldn't be seen.
Anyway, people now examined Jin Seo-na's transformation up close.
"Ugh... I can't get used to it. I can't believe this is me. But this clothes is a bit tight too."
""""...""""
She seemed to have grown about 10cm.
Her hair grew even longer.
Above all, Jin Seo-na's jawline showed more definition.
Otherwise, Jin Seo-na's body was overall much more mature than before.
Just the quietly exuding atmosphere felt elegant and adult-like.
People involuntarily let out exclamations seeing Jin Seo-na's beauty.
Especially─
"─Beautiful..."
"Eun-hyeok, you. Don't stare so blatantly. It's embarrassing..."
Choi Eun-hyeok was entranced.
His gaze consistently refused to leave her.
Even Eun-ha had to acknowledge it.
"The puppy became a large dog."
"Yeah, Eun-ha. Can you shut up?"
"You even speak harshly now that you're a large dog."
Of course, Eun-ha quickly became indifferent.
No matter what appearance Jin Seo-na took, she was Jin Seo-na.
Rather, Eun-ha's interest was elsewhere.
"Now how should I touch the tails? Even if I grab one with each hand, one will be left..."
"Why are you worrying about my tails?"
"That's right, Eun-ha. Why are you worrying about Seo-na's tails?"
Hips swollen due to tails.
Eun-ha fell into thought watching the silhouette moving inside the clothes.
To this, Jin Seo-na and Choi Eun-hyeok gave Eun-ha dumbfounded looks.
Of course, Eun-ha was joking too.
The part he was truly interested in was elsewhere.
Eun-ha turned to the research center director.
"What happened here? Is it because of <Beast>'s influence? Besides the external changes, how useful is that form..."
Practical value rather than aesthetic value.
Eun-ha focused on that.
So he asked the research center director who would know most about gifts among them.
The research center director answered─
"─I'm seeing this phenomenon for the first time too so I'm not sure. But I can definitely say it's a completely different gift from <Beast>."
Aein generally possess the gift <Beast> which can use the principles of the monster they're based on.
But not all Aein possess <Beast>.
It wasn't uncommon to have other gifts too.
Jin Seo-na belonged to the latter.
"There are two known types of <Beast> so far. One is a body strengthening type that completely transforms into the base monster, and a principle specialization type that transforms while maintaining a human appearance as much as possible."
The research center director explained.
According to his explanation, Jin Parang belonged to the body strengthening type.
And in Ariel's case, she could be said to belong to the principle specialization type.
Then Jin Seo-na who transformed into a human form could be thought to belong to the principle specialization type too.
However─
"─The activation conditions for <Beast> are all the same. Though there are <Beast> that change in specific environments, that's essentially the same too. It's covering specific parts by manifesting mana."
""""...""""
"Compared to that, looking at how Jin Seo-na player activated her gift, it can be said to be somewhat different. It was a method of manifesting internal mana to cover the body, and then absorbing it back internally in that state. Simply put, um..."
"I thought of it as applying cosmetics while returning mana internally."
"Yes, that's right. That's exactly it. So I'm saying it's completely different from <Beast>. Hey you there. Please access the player library and check if there are any gifts similar to this method."
But looking at the transformed appearance, it's probably related to the principles of the base monster.
The research center director added.
"Now that we've confirmed the gift, we should inspect more how it can be used and utilized."
Deciding to search for materials by requesting the player library.
The research center director resumed the inspection.
☆
"─As a result of confirmation, we found a monster with an appearance similar to Jin Seo-na player, but it seems to be a monster that mainly appears in Japan."
Komorebi Kitsune (木漏れ日狐).
The research center director announced the existence of a 5th rank monster said to appear in Japan.
Its appearance with 3 tails as if a fox disguised as a human was similar to Jin Seo-na.
The monster was said to be skilled in illusion magic and transformation.
"Then can't it be considered <Beast>?"
"We could think that, but looking at that appearance, we really can't think it's <Beast>."
""""...""""
To this, Han Seo-hyeon expressed doubt.
The research center director looked for Jin Seo-na.
People's gazes also turned to her.
Gazes were even lower than before.
"Now the clothes are too big... When I activated my gift thinking to become smaller, this happened."
Jin Seo-na had become smaller.
It was an appearance reminiscent of elementary school days.
She spoke while folding triangular ears, wrapped in hanbok.
"Even if Komorebi Kitsune transforms, it's said its substance doesn't change since it changed appearance through illusion. But looking at Jin Seo-na player's appearance, it's not made to look like that through illusion but her substance became younger."
Jin Seo-na seems to have aptitude for illusion magic and transformation influenced by the base.
But it can't be <Beast>.
The research center director vaguely asserted.
"Rather, both the appearance from before and now... In a way, it looks like Jin Seo-na player grew."
""""...""""
"Gifts related to growth generally activate in a similar way to Jin Seo-na player too."
"But I'm already fully grown? Then does the fact I can become that appearance from before mean I can still grow more?"
"It's probably temporarily adjusting growth hormones only when activating the gift. Come to think of it, there was a gift with a similar effect."
<Somatotropin>.
The name the research center director brought up was very unfamiliar.
Growth-related gifts are rare so they're not well known.
Just as Jin Seo-na activated her gift, he says there are probably many people who have it but don't know because the activation method is so tricky.
"Hmm... So my gift is like that. Then it should be possible to grow only specific parts?"
"If you become skilled at handling the gift, it will probably be possible. The reason you transformed into that appearance earlier could be said to be because you strengthened the monster factors inside your body."
"That's truly a gift Si-hyeong would envy."
Eun-ha laughed listening to their conversation.
Though he still couldn't grasp how to use her gift, it seemed useful in many ways.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Hmm..."
Meanwhile, he approached Jin Seo-na wrapped in hanbok.
Eun-ha knelt down.
He matched eye level with her.
Jin Seo-na in elementary school days.
Bewilderment spread across her face.
Regardless, Eun-ha stared intently at Jin Seo-na.
"─Though there's Bodyguard Lee Jeong-hyeon, I thought it would be good to have someone who can escort Baek-ryeon without arousing others' suspicion... Seo-na, how about you maintain that appearance for a while and go to school together with Baek-ryeon?"
""""...""""
"It would look natural even carrying a schoolbag."
It wasn't a bad idea.
He couldn't always have Jean Valjean out due to internal mana issues.
Moreover, Baek-ryeon doesn't know Jean Valjean's identity is himself.
If she learns Jean Valjean's identity, she would hate him very much.
Compared to that, what about Jin Seo-na?
There would be no problem if the situation was explained well to Baek-ryeon.
Eun-ha spoke with such thoughts─
"─You don't have other thoughts, right?"
"Huh? What?"
"Yeah, no."
Jin Seo-na put strength in her red eyes.
She spoke as if extremely disgusted.
She turned her head away sharply.
☆
Eun-ha consulted with the research center director and decided to conceal Jin Seo-na's gift.
Because her gift was rare and useful for reverse engineering.
So there was no need to blatantly reveal it was a gift that could be reverse engineered.
Seo-na's gift will probably be marked as just <Beast> externally.
Besides this, Jeong Ha-yang and Choi Eun-hyeok's inspections ended easily.
In Jeong Ha-yang's case, her gift was already recorded at the time she became <The Seed> of <Index>.
Gift <Multitasking>.
Moreover, her gift was well known from working with Mana Management Organization staff a few years ago.
Meanwhile, in Choi Eun-hyeok's case─
"─We should set Eun-hyeok's as a gift related to body strengthening."
"...Yes, let's do that."
Gift <Critical>.
Choi Eun-hyeok's gift was extremely rare, and in a way could be a hidden card weapon for Choi Eun-hyeok.
So Eun-ha decided to conceal Choi Eun-hyeok's gift.
And Eun-ha's turn approached.
[─Then we will begin No Eun-ha player's gift inspection.]
Staff assistance wasn't needed.
He entered the inspection room alone and manifested mana externally.
I don't know exactly how much internal mana I need to consume for my gift to activate either.
I'll use the inspection equipment to grasp at what standard I activate my gift.
Since he was already aware of his gift.
Eun-ha's gift inspection proceeded under his lead.
Eun-ha who drew out internal mana soon watched the monitor beside him.
Thump thump thump
His heart pounded.
The gift is about to activate.
Eun-ha checked the numbers updating on the monitor.
Gift <Unknown>
When the gift finally activated.
The monitor informed that about 17% of his internal mana remained.
Considering the margin of error, the gift probably activates when about 20% of internal mana remains.
If I use tricks with Stygian Eye, I can activate it at will no matter how much internal mana remains.
Eun-ha shifted his gaze.
Now his gaze turned to Jeong Ha-yang and the research center director checking his physical abilities through the glass window.
Currently, Eun-ha had devices attached all over his body to measure physical changes occurring when activating his gift.
It was a machine mainly used to inspect enhancement-type gifts.
But─
[─How expensive is this to suddenly explode!?]
In the middle of measuring Eun-ha's values.
The machine suddenly overloaded and exploded.
The area beyond the glass window became enveloped in black smoke.
☆
"─To conclude, it seems we can't properly measure No Eun-ha player's gift with our technology. Listening to No Eun-ha player's story, it seemed like a kind of enhancement-type gift but it seems to be on a different track from ordinary enhancement-type gifts."
Commotion arose in the room.
Fortunately, No Eun-ah and Jeong Ha-yang prevented the damage from spreading greatly.
Soon the research center director whose hair was singed by flames concluded.
Unmeasurable.
It was like this in the previous life too.
Back then I even lost consciousness so it was a huge mess...
He had expected to some extent.
Eun-ha wasn't greatly surprised even when the machine suddenly exploded.
In the end, what he learned from the gift inspection wasn't different from the results Eun-ha had explored on his own so far.
He could just somewhat know at what point he activates his gift, and specifically how much his abilities increase.
"Even enhancement-type gifts have clearly defined limits to strengthening... It seems No Eun-ha player's gift strengthens to a level the machine can't measure. We can't grasp with our technology whether it rises endlessly, or stops at a certain point after rising."
"...I think there's an end too."
"Even so, to rise to this level..."
Actually, it increases endlessly.
Eun-ha hasn't seen the limit yet.
But Eun-ha didn't surprise the already astonished research center director further.
There was no need to honestly reveal.
It's already well known my gift is a kind of enhancement type from the Mana Religion soul-returning ceremony terror incident.
But there's no need to say my gift isn't enhancement type on top of that, right?
Just as <Critical> is for Choi Eun-hyeok, Eun-ha's gift could be called a trump card for himself too.
So he wanted to hide as much as possible about his gift.
Even so, he couldn't completely conceal his gift like Jin Seo-na.
Unlike Seo-na, public opinion arose that my gift seems to be not an ordinary enhancement type though it is enhancement type this time...
I probably can't gloss over it.
He had to consider his public image.
He couldn't incur public resentment as a liar to the world by having his gift exposed.
He had to lie in moderation.
If he claimed it was an ordinary enhancement type as generally known, he would face backlash in some way later.
Should I call it <Berserk> instead?
So he considered that thought too.
Soon he inwardly shook his head.
There was a clear difference between his gift and <Berserk> currently.
"─Come to think of it, I heard there's a similar type of gift in America. Surely in the player library... Ah, it was probably called <Berserk>. Instead, the more you strengthen, the more you gradually go mad."
"...That's right. It's different from that. I maintain my reason."
Falling into madness.
It was far from the appearance Eun-ha showed while fighting <Myeongwang> Sindorim.
Even if he deceived with the unfamiliar <Berserk>, players who can access the player library wouldn't easily believe.
"Hmm... This is completely unprecedented. A gift that keeps strengthening without losing reason... No Eun-ha player will be the first holder."
"I guess that's inevitable."
In the end, Eun-ha had no choice but to disclose to the world as the first gift holder, just as On Tae-yang did.
In this case, the interpretation of the gift depended entirely on what the holder Eun-ha said.
Unlike On Tae-yang, my situation is better.
Mana Management Organization staff are cooperative, and my gift doesn't have such noticeable effects like <Brave>.
Gift <Brave>.
In the previous life, On Tae-yang's gift couldn't be easily deceived about.
How could using companions' gifts be easily hidden?
In the end, he chose the path of extensively promoting his gift to raise its name value with Galaxy Group's power.
I don't need to do that.
Because I have more fame than On Tae-yang had in the previous regression.
Compared to that, what about himself?
Gift <Unknown> could only be called enhancement type on the surface.
But Eun-ha knew that Gift <Unknown> shows a few seconds into the future the moment certain conditions are satisfied.
Seeing the future is a very great power.
It's a future only I can see, so there's no need to disclose it to the public.
So he should undervalue his gift's ability while disclosing it.
Since only he has it, there's no worry about being found out.
Eun-ha finished his thoughts.
Just then, the research center director brought up a topic.
"It seems No Eun-ha player must register a new type of gift in the player library. Huh, heroes really are different. You were so strong because you had such power."
"It's just a bit better than enhancement-type gifts. Don't praise it too much."
"But what should we name it? In the case of new gift discoverers, they can directly register the name."
"Hmm... I've been calling it <Unknown> for now. How about registering that for convenience?"
""""...""""
It wasn't a gift that would be accurately registered anyway.
What does the name matter?
So he brought up the gift name that was now stuck to his mouth.
Then the room fell silent as if cold water was poured.
Eun-ha was bewildered.
"Wouldn't it be better to use something else? What's with <Unknown>..."
"What's wrong with this? It's fine."
Eun-ah gave criticism as a representative.
She sighed with an "Ehyu".
"It's a bit much to name a gift being registered in the player library <Unknown> in the sense of unconfirmed. By that logic, how many unregistered <Unknown>s are there?"
The research center director added words.
His words were correct.
Eun-ha made an "Eung" sound.
"I haven't thought of anything besides <Unknown>..."
"Whether magic or alias or gift, they're all named to be easily associated just by hearing the name. So wouldn't it be better to name Eun-ha's gift related to its characteristics?"
Name it intuitively.
Eun-ah advised.
Other people nodded.
To this, Eun-ha couldn't help but fall into contemplation.
No suitable name came to mind.
...What should I name a gift that keeps getting stronger?
Excluding the part about seeing the future.
He had to name it using the part about gradually getting stronger.
Eun-ha held his head.
In the end, other people had no choice but to contemplate with Eun-ha.
Meanwhile, Choi Eun-hyeok spoke as if in passing.
"It's just like a protagonist that would appear in a story."
""""Protagonist?""""
"No, Eun-ha's gift is just like that. Getting proportionally stronger as internal mana falls below a certain point, it's just like a protagonist who somehow wins through guts no matter how cornered."
""""...""""
"No matter how strong an enemy appears, though cornered at first, eventually becoming stronger than that enemy and winning in the end."
Choi Eun-hyeok was embarrassed.
But listening to his words, Eun-ha thought it did seem like that.
A protagonist who implausibly gets ridiculously stronger by receiving protagonist buffs at critical moments.
Except for seeing the future, there were quite a few similarities.
But I can't say <Protagonist Buff>.
However, he would be called the epitome of this gift for a long time.
The gift's name would be mentioned simultaneously when <Crimson Wing>'s name is brought up.
No matter how intuitive, a strange gift was undesirable.
Right then─
"─How about a gift called <Heroic>?"
""""...""""
Jeong Ha-yang threw out the topic.
Gift <Heroic>.
People slowly recited the name Jeong Ha-yang suggested.
Soon she added explanation.
"Protagonist is also written as Hero in English, and Hero is generally called a hero. But coincidentally Eun-ha is being called a hero, and heroes also show appearances of getting ridiculously stronger when cornered, so how about <Heroic>?"
"<Heroic>..."
<Heroic>, the word meaning heroic.
It wasn't bad.
Eun-ha liked it somewhat too.
Other people seemed to agree.
Moreover─
"─<Heroic>... It's quite fitting for promoting the Pandora Clan Lord."
It's intuitive so good for promotion.
Han Seo-hyeon raised the corners of her mouth.
The moment she said it was good, the name was as good as decided.
"Then let's go with <Heroic>."
Abandoning the name <Unknown>.
Though not completely.
Finally No Eun-ha was able to define his gift.
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