Chapter 130

Chapter 130
## Chapter 130

Interlude (2)

“Wow… That was a close call.”

Leaning back in my seat, I stared at the translucent display floating directly before me.

『Karma Shop』

『Unique Skill Enhancement (1,100,000)』

『Status Enhancement – View Details』

『Karma Owned – 1,120,122』

Merely a handful of days had passed since Howard came into existence, yet he had already amassed greater than 500,000 Karma, satisfying the conditions for an upgrade.

It was a velocity that would baffle any awakened individual back on Earth, though it made perfect sense given the circumstances.

‘Even if vampires represent a fraction of the population, he consumed a Sacred Blood, the absolute apex of their race, and went so far as to seize the crown.’

Reflecting on that reality, the reward might even seem a bit cheap, but the Karma generated from this ordeal had not yet ceased accumulating.

The figure currently displayed was merely an initial installment for the chaos that had just unfolded.

Additional Karma would be credited down the line once he successfully seized control of the Ufersh Clan, broadened his domain, and made his presence felt as a true Sacred Blood.

‘In any case, a single upgrade now demands 1.1 million points. I can only hope the payoff matches the price.’

The quantity of Karma required for a displaced awakened individual to return home to Earth was precisely 1 million.

Given that it required a decade on average for them to accumulate such a sum, spending that much on a solitary skill upgrade felt preposterous.

‘Then again, it is a drop in the bucket for me at this point.’

Because my various avatars had advanced and were now operating on grand stages, hundreds of thousands of Karma flooded in with every major incident.

This stream would hardly dry up once the actual ‘Home Theater’ went live; if anything, the influx would only amplify.

‘It will be restored in no time even if I empty the account right now, so there is no point in hoarding it.’

It was a remarkably wealthy perspective.

Those who narrowly escaped death in countless harrowing trials just to scrape together points would likely choke in disbelief if they caught wind of this.

I glanced over at the ‘Mental Strength Enhancement’ tab just to check, but the price tag there was a staggering 640,000.

‘Boosting my mental fortitude through upgrading the unique skill offers far better value. I regretted the choice when I dumped 320,000 directly into a mental strength upgrade, as the return on investment fell short of my expectations.’

Inhaling deeply to steady my resolve, I selected ‘Unique Skill Enhancement’ without further hesitation.

Thump—

The anticipated, dull ache throbbed through my head and receded. Following it, system alerts materialized.

《The avatar’s latent capacity expands. Development accelerates further.》

《The unique skill evolves, unlocking new capabilities. During avatar creation, you may now select one of three randomly presented skills.》

This was the fruit of a 1.1 million point venture.

Mercifully, the ‘greater avatar limit’ and ‘substantial boost to mental capacity’ that I had anticipated were included as natural progression benefits.

Furthermore, I was granted a restricted choice of abilities rather than the purely randomized assignments of the past, a mechanic that felt familiar by now.

And…

…That was the extent of it.

“Phew— I was cross-fingered for at least one game-changing ability.”

Unlike ‘Status Enhancement’, where the pricing escalated sharply but delivered progressively massive enhancements, ‘Unique Skill Enhancement’ did not guarantee a reward proportional to the steep climb in cost.

Whether an investment was 500,000 or 1 million, the result was simply a single tier progression.

Even though I was fully aware of this mechanic beforehand, a trace of dissatisfaction lingered.

‘Some days are just like this. Having options for the skill isn’t terrible either. It’s just that my previous outcomes were exceptionally fortunate… Still, targeting a direct mental strength boost next time around might be the smarter play.’

I offered a quiet complaint at the next milestone cost, which had jumped to 1.2 million, though this was merely the whining of someone drowning in abundance, considering I was likely the sole individual to push a unique skill this far.

Clearing away my lingering doubts, I moved forward with generating a fresh avatar.

Simultaneously, the configuration menu materialized, offering options to alter features and allocate attributes.

However, a novel prompt was now visible right where the newborn avatar’s initial abilities typically displayed.

‘I need to pick one from this lineup.’

Because the foundational skill heavily dictated the trajectory of an avatar’s path, this decision required careful deliberation.

Naturally, given the heightened potential of these avatars, they could advance rapidly even lacking a matching starting skill, but there was zero logic in ignoring a built-in advantage.

It was a massive upgrade over the old system where I simply had to accept whatever random trait was dealt.

The options presented lacked any cohesive theme, clearly pulled from a randomized pool.

‘The utility of “X-Ray Vision” and “Frost Resistance” is obvious from the names alone, but what exactly does “Bond of Unity” entail?’

Fortunately, the interface was accommodating enough to provide a brief description during this selection phase.

The fundamental mechanic of “Bond of Unity” provided ‘enhanced perks whenever establishing a contract’.

That single line of explanation was more than enough to reveal the true nature of the trait.

‘This is an ideal skill for someone like Harris, the Spirit Summoner.’

It was a trait designed to heighten compatibility and ties with a contracted entity, precisely the sort of tool a ‘conjurer’ type would leverage.

Since Harris was already filling that niche, it could be viewed as a redundant capability…

‘A conjurer… that could be highly entertaining.’

Spirits were far from the only entities capable of being summoned within this realm.

Harley had previously engaged in combat against the summoning practitioners of the Oath of Heaven’s Defiance within the Northern Mountains, after all.

From legendary creatures like unicorns and phoenixes to planar demons and alien lifeforms, the avenues available to a practitioner of summoning were limitless.

‘This strikes me as vastly superior to “X-Ray Vision” or “Frost Resistance”. To be frank, I was initially leaning toward designing a conventional spellcaster for this next avatar, but taking this route offers a great alternative.’

If the situation demanded it, the summon could serve as a protective vanguard while the avatar transitioned into traditional sorcery later on, making it highly versatile.

“All right… let’s go with this.”

Once the final attribute points were locked in, the newborn avatar materialized at last.

He possessed a mild countenance, gentle, slightly downturned eyes, and an analytical expression—the quintessential appearance of an exemplary scholar.

‘Excellent, this works out well.’

A satisfied grin crossed my face as I observed the nascent summoning sorcerer, ‘Hesperon’.

The primary objective on Hesperon’s agenda was…

To begin absorbing the foundational information destined for Howard, following the path laid out by Hubert.

At least until a proper environment could be arranged for his progression within Auterica.

—

Deep within the secluded confines of the Roselia Cathedral lay an isolated training sector.

Hummmm—

The legendary blade clasped in Heinrich’s grip resonated with a soft vibration.

Concurrently, the piercing energy bound within the steel steadily intensified, overflowing until it began to suffocate the physical form of its master.

‘This sensation never ceases to amaze me.’

The unique energy of the blade, or ‘holy sword ki’, which he had mastered after receiving the “Blessing: Holy Sword”, possessed a far more volatile temperament than standard holy power, despite sharing a similar origin.

When channeled into a blade, it pushed cutting efficiency and destructive output to their absolute peaks, and when blanketed over the flesh, it forced physical speed and defensive resilience far beyond mortal constraints.

It was an attribute entirelybefitting a legendary weapon forged to shield creation from malevolent forces, yet aside from its magnificent utility, there existed a highly delicate requirement to properly wield the current—

Establishing a direct rapport with the blade.

Hummmm—

The steel resonated once more, projecting its emotional state straight to Heinrich.

It was an intent structured around raw, instinctual feelings rather than articulate speech, yet it undeniably possessed a distinct consciousness.

‘It isn’t nearly as articulate as during the trials of the holy sword. Back then, I assumed it was a fully sentient weapon capable of two-way speech.’

It was highly probable that such clarity was a specialized state reserved exclusively for testing prospective wielders.

Now that the blade had been drawn from its resting place and he was confirmed as its legitimate wielder, he discerned that its baseline intellect was actually somewhat basic.

If he had to find a comparison… it behaved much like an exceptionally bright canine?

Vzzzzz—!

Right then, the holy sword began to shudder violently in open discontent.

It appeared a fraction of his internal musings had drifted through the open mental corridor he used to maintain their connection.

-‘No, that isn’t what I meant. I only mean that our connection is incredibly deep and I rely on you completely! I don’t actually view you as a pet, Logia.’

Heinrich scrambled to steady his internal thoughts, offering reassurances to placate the weapon.

‘Logia’ was the title bestowed upon the blade by its original wielder, and Heinrich maintained the tradition as a gesture of reverence toward his predecessor.

It remained the most fitting designation possible, particularly since his arsenal included an ability named “Logia Holy Combat”.

-‘There we go, excellent. As always, our Logia remains utterly dependable. Truly magnificent.’

Hummmm—

The aggressive tremors of the blade began to recede.

Reassessing the situation, it felt more accurate to liken the entity to a young child of five or six years, rather than a canine.

‘Maintaining such an untainted consciousness despite enduring through the ages is a feat unique to a holy sword.’

Yet, Heinrich maintained a strict vigil over a specific detail even while engaging in this mental dialogue.

Naturally, his primary concern was ensuring his deepest realities never drifted toward the weapon’s consciousness.

‘I have put safeguards in place, but absolute vigilance is necessary to prevent any internal conflict.’

He actively paired his refined “Mind Hub” alongside “Persona” to block his core sentiments and reflections from bleeding backward into the identity of ‘Heinrich’.

This allowed him to completely lose himself within the role of ‘Heinrich’ regardless of the scenario.

Sustaining separate streams of consciousness in this manner accelerated his mental fatigue, but the task was far more manageable now, thanks to the substantial mental reserves gained from his recent unique skill upgrade.

‘The blade discovering the truth wouldn’t change much, given the Main God is already privy to it… No, keeping it hidden remains the superior path.’

He lacked the heart to compromise the weapon’s unblemished nature after experiencing it firsthand through their mental link.

Its sole purpose since creation was to combat malevolence, a duty it had performed against countless darknesses.

Were it to discover that the champion it had selected to wield it was actively allied with the Demon King…

‘An innocent consciousness deserves safeguarding. Just as the old maxims state, some truths are better left unlearned.’

There was zero benefit in introduces a volatile variable into the equation.

A short while later, as Heinrich’s tightly governed internal thoughts concluded the communion and his eyelids fluttered open,

His divine energies and the razor-sharp holy sword ki locked into perfect alignment, causing a massive pressure to cascade from his form.

Rumble—!

The fierce, heavy aura—entirely uncharacteristic of a typical Saint—reverberated through the private training grounds despite the protection of a sacred ward, his immense power radiating outward into the surroundings…

“Whew—”

He gradually reined in the wild aura, drawing the dispersed energy back inward with a long exhalation.

‘My mastery over this form is solidifying.’

Because his strength had spiked so drastically within an incredibly brief window after conquering the blade’s trial, he required a significant amount of time to properly govern his output.

To complicate matters, the “Grand Blessing: Knight of Light” bestowed immediately afterward had artificially accelerated his power thresholds.

Fortunately, he adapted to his altered physical capabilities rapidly due to his foundational trait, “Martial Bones”, yet it still demanded unceasing practice.

After concluding his brief morning routine, Heinrich cleansed himself and made his way toward the primary sanctuary.

His intention was to join the assembly for the standard prayer session overseen by the Saintess, however…

“Ah, greetings, Saintess.”

…The Saintess was already present.

Crouched low before the garden soil, in her usual fashion.

“Oh! Greetings, Sir Heinrich! A wonderful morning to you!”

The hour was rapidly approaching midday.

That reality alone revealed precisely how long she had been lingering among the flora.

She had undoubtedly wandered out at dawn and completely lost track of the hours.

“Saintess, in the event it slipped your notice, the midday service is about to commence.”

“…Is that so?”

“Indeed, though we can still make it if we hurry…”

Before his sentence could fully form, the Saintess bolted upright and dashed at full speed toward the sanctuary positioned in the heart of the temple complex.

‘Could this be a lingering effect of burnout? Her conduct has been remarkably erratic of late.’

The Saintess had practically taken up residence in the courtyard, expending her massive reserves of divine grace on tiny insects.

He refrained from intervening since it appeared to function as her personal method for venting pressure, yet…

‘I would prefer to erase the memory of those tiny creatures mutating into a frenzy from the sheer density of her power… ’

Dismissing the thought with a small shake of his head, Heinrich walked at a leisurely pace behind her toward the sanctuary.

As evidenced by her current behavior, she had finally been unburdened from the mountain of administrative duties, reclaiming the liberty she had desperately craved.

All that remained was for the administrative staff to execute their duties precisely according to the rigid timeline.

With that, the arrival of the ‘Continental Summit’ tasked with opposing the Immortal King drew closer.