Chapter 233

Chapter 233
## Chapter 233

Karma Shopping (1)

‘There is so much on my plate.’

Even if I were split into ten people, it wouldn’t be sufficient.

While most individuals used that phrase as a mere figure of speech, for someone like me who literally operated ten separate bodies, it was a literal, exhausting truth.

In fact, possessing ten bodies seemed to only multiply the chaos.

‘Every single one of them is highly placed, meaning they are constantly caught up in critical affairs.’

Take Harley, for instance, who had just recently acquired the “Tattoo of the Fighting King.”

The traditionalist shamans had wasted no time in recognizing his status and showing him deep respect, but that did not automatically grant him total dominion over the southern territories.

Ever since the passing of the previous Fighting King, a long-standing system had been in place where the High Chieftain was chosen through a collective consensus among the tribes.

He assumed that a pledge made at the dawn of their civilization wouldn’t be so easily swallowed by the modern clans.

Yet, contrary to his anxieties, the political transition was moving forward without a hitch.

‘Then again, it makes perfect sense.’

He was a key figure in the southern campaign that brought down the Immortal King, a legendary combatant who rescued Calcos by executing the treacherous former High Chieftain Baltheon.

Furthermore, with the current High Chieftain incapacitated for the foreseeable future due to lingering trauma, the populace naturally gravitated toward the young, heroic “Fighting King Harley” as their ideal sovereign.

‘As soon as the southern region stabilizes, I need to pay a visit to Patrick. He wouldn’t stop grumbling about me showing up at the Mercenary Guild, so I should see how things are going on his end.’

By leveraging Harley’s formidable reputation, Secretary General Patrick had successfully averted his scheduled ousting and reclaimed his position securely. However, for operations to run seamlessly from here on out, Harley needed to take a far more visible role within the organization.

Since he had agreed to take on the responsibility, it was only right that he fulfilled his end of the bargain.

‘Hans is also going to require some uninterrupted time.’

Immortal King Hans was currently in a period of recovery inside the Immortal Fortress.

He had gone into isolation to focus entirely on two massive research endeavors.

The primary objective was tracking down the ‘Seed of Madness’ by analyzing the metallic shard recovered from the abyssal gate, thereby identifying the Revolutionary who held it.

‘He is incredibly elusive, given how flawlessly he has managed to hide his tracks until now. If he gets wind of my pursuit, there is no telling what desperate measures he might take. I must eliminate him completely this time.’

The secondary goal involved mapping out a pathway to a different realm by piecing together Salma’s fractured recollections.

‘Securing diverse streams of Karma is always the wisest strategy. Auterica’s potential is bound to hit a ceiling eventually.’

He had no intention of riding the coattails of the Immortal King crisis indefinitely, making this project an absolute priority.

Granted, he could always use his highly placed duplicates to sway events, but unless he deliberately engineered catastrophes, his overall earnings would inevitably dry up as peace returned to the lands.

‘Furthermore, Ganghwange is a world dictated by the laws of Murim. Their martial arts systems are legendary, meaning I could harvest incredibly valuable techniques there.’

Through his telepathic manipulation, Hans had extracted vast amounts of lore from various individuals who had returned from Murim, but the core mechanics of their energy systems were too fundamentally distinct for him to truly grasp from memory alone.

To be fair, even those plagiarized concepts and theories had provided immense value in refining Heinrich’s “Path of Martial Arts,” but to genuinely unlock their full potential, firsthand exposure to Murim was mandatory.

Attempting to cultivate Ki on Earth was an exercise in futility due to the complete absence of environmental energy, and Auterica operated on an entirely different supernatural framework.

Naturally, both of these major undertakings would require a significant investment of time before bearing fruit.

‘The remaining matters can wait. Right now, there is a far more pressing task requiring my attention.’

And at this precise instant—

I was on the verge of launching a massive project.

“Phew— Alright. Time to get down to business.”

Exhaling deeply, I rubbed my palms together and eagerly focused my gaze on the glowing interface hovering in front of me.

『Karma Shop Ver.2』

The moment had finally arrived to indulge in a massive, long-overdue spending spree.

I had accumulated a hefty balance of 5.3 million Karma points, ready to be utilized.

‘To start things off… ’

I began by purchasing a pair of 『Growth Elixirs (7 days) (200,000)』 and assigned them directly to Howard and Hesperon.

This particular concoction would prove incredibly beneficial to both the Dwarf artisan toiling away at his anvil and the aspiring sorcerer buried in his arcane texts, effectively buying them invaluable time.

‘Let’s run a trial with this. If the results are underwhelming, I simply won’t purchase it further.’

My initial thought was to buy a single vial as a test run, but I ultimately opted for a pair to ensure a more thorough evaluation.

One subject was dedicated to refining physical craftsmanship, while the other was focused on gathering lore and mastering the flow of mana, providing a perfect baseline to measure the elixir’s versatile performance.

With that transaction completed, my reserves dropped to 4.4 million points.

The lead digit had shifted downward before I had even truly begun.

A sudden surge of consumer adrenaline hit me, prompting me to scan the catalog for my next target.

『Random Other Skill Acquisition (500,000)』

The unpredictable lottery system.

A notorious mechanic that every player loved to hate.

A predatory monetization system designed to bleed users dry, capitalizing on their blind faith in random percentages.

Under normal circumstances, I would steer completely clear of such volatile wagers…

‘However, under my unique circumstances, the odds are heavily stacked in my favor.’

The nature of 「Avatar」 meant that any acquired skills were universally distributed among my copies.

Therefore, mathematically speaking, I wasn’t merely pulling a single ability.

I was securing ten identical skills simultaneously, distributed across all nine duplicates and my original body!

‘Breaking it down like that, it amounts to a mere 50,000 points per skill! Abstaining from such a deal would be foolish!… Just one pull.’

I recalled how incredibly vital our very first collective ability, “Super Recovery,” had been during the formative phases of my duplicates.

Beyond its immediate utility, it had acted as a crucial stepping stone for the development of advanced traits, such as the “Super Regeneration” manifested by Harley and Heinz the Second.

‘Even if I end up pulling something completely mundane like “Sturdiness,” it’s perfectly acceptable. Any additional trait is a net positive. And on the off chance that lady luck smiles upon me… ’

My expectations weren’t wildly extravagant.

Obtaining something on the level of “Physical Immunity,” “Resurrection,” or “Death Gaze” would be an absolute dream.

Swept up in these grand delusions, I confidently finalized the purchase—

《Awakening random latent traits. You have successfully unlocked the skill “Xenoglossy.”》

The notification revealed an ability possessing a remarkably grandiose title.

“Oh—! Wait, what…?”

Xenoglossy.

On paper, it certainly sounded like a formidable talent.

It granted the supernatural capacity to instantly comprehend and utilize languages that the user had never formally studied.

Literacy, composition, auditory comprehension, and spoken dialogue… every single facet of communication was elevated to flawless fluency, completely bypassing racial or specific biological boundaries.

Effectively matching—

The exact manner in which I was currently communicating effortlessly using Auterican Common and the Elven tongue within Auterica.

In reality, it was a baseline feature that every transported Earthling received by default upon arrival.

“…No, let’s not get discouraged. There has to be a practical application for this.”

When evaluated objectively, it possessed considerable utility back on Earth.

I distinctly remembered the immense linguistic difficulties Hans encountered when he initially began executing operations within Japan.

He had been forced to dedicate a substantial window of time to absorbing language-related memories just to communicate smoothly in Japanese.

…Which meant, it was an obstacle that Hans could easily overcome on his own, provided he was willing to sacrifice the time.

“Well, Hans represents an incredibly high-value asset. Eliminating the need for him to squander precious time on language acquisition makes this a solid utility skill.”

The hours saved could be redirected toward far more productive espionage efforts, and avoiding that tedious learning curve entirely was undeniably advantageous.

Having thoroughly exhausted my mental gymnastics to justify the outcome, I shut my eyes tightly and shifted my focus away.

…Silently swearing an oath to never gamble on the lottery again.

My available funds now rested at 4.4 million Karma points.

Though a brief wave of disappointment washed over me, the sight of my remaining wealth quickly restored my composure.

‘When it comes down to it, investing in unique skill upgrades is always the most reliable path.’

It served as the bedrock of my current capabilities—a dependable, unpretentious choice that never failed to deliver, much like a comforting bowl of traditional gukbap.

Without further delay, I locked in the 1.2 million ‘Unique Skill Enhancement.’

《The inherent capacity of the avatar system has expanded. Cognitive progression speed has been amplified.》

《The primary unique attribute has advanced, broadening its developmental limits. Associated sub-traits have received a power increase.》

While no flashy new abilities manifested this round, the overall capacity for managing duplicates expanded, making it a highly successful transaction.

Following that, my attention drifted down to the subsequent listing.

『Dragon Heart of the Gold Dragon Hatchling Hureione (910,000)』

A species inherently blessed with monumental power, breathing in raw mana as naturally as oxygen, bypassing traditional training to achieve god-like tiers of existence merely by surviving to adulthood…

It represented the ultimate foundation required to manifest a dragon-based duplicate.

‘Given that I now possess the capability to morph into alternative fantasy races, it’s only logical that I attempt to manifest a dragon, the undisputed apex predator of this world, right?’

While that desire certainly played a role, it wasn’t my sole motivation.

I had already successfully guided duplicates from completely mundane species to the absolute zenith of their respective disciplines.

What spectacular heights could be reached if I applied that accumulated mastery, strategy, and wisdom to a dragon—a creature already endowed with peerless natural gifts?

‘Is it possible that I could create an entity that eclipses even Hans, the Immortal King?’

Furthermore, it would serve as an incredible asset for countering the enigmatic leader of the Heaven’s Turn Society.

Hans found himself at a severe tactical disadvantage against that celestial entity, making a dragon the ideal counter-measure to balance the scales!

Consequently, seeing as it was strictly destined to serve as a biological foundation, I combed through the marketplace listings to locate the least expensive Dragon Heart available.

The item in question was priced at less than half of the initial specimen I had encountered, which demanded a staggering 1.83 million.

Granted, the fact that even an infant dragon’s heart commanded 910,000 points was intimidating… but it remained entirely within my financial reach.

‘The dragon population was driven to the brink of utter devastation during the twin Great Wars. The vast majority of their vital cores were either tainted by the dark energies of the Immortal King or processed into high-grade military resources.’

In an apocalyptic conflict where the survival of entire civilizations hung in the balance, sentimentality was a luxury no one could afford.

Naturally, a handful of ancient relics powered by Dragon Hearts managed to endure into the present era…

‘However, a fractured, heavily modified core wouldn’t suffice for my purposes.’

Even without relying on Hans, individuals like Heinrich or Heinz the Second could effortlessly leverage their immense political clout to secure such enchanted items.

Yet those remained merely high-tier magical instruments, completely inadequate to serve as foundations for 「Customization」.

‘I require an entirely pristine, unaltered organ. One that remains completely free of corruption and structural processing.’

The methodology here was entirely distinct from shaping standard humans, Elves, or Dwarves.

Understandably, sourcing pristine components of that caliber was a monumental challenge.
Which explained why even an unhatched creature’s core demanded a price of 910,000.

‘It appears these singular items are bound by dynamic market variables, causing their valuations to shift continuously. There’s no absolute guarantee that such an object physically exists within the boundaries of Auterica at this exact moment.’

When analyzed rationally, embarking on a blind quest to track down an exceedingly rare artifact with an untraceable location was a massive waste of resources. It made far more sense to utilize that time to cultivate existing duplicates and harvest additional Karma.

Arriving at that definitive conclusion, I brought my prolonged contemplation to an end and resolutely finalized the purchase.

Hummmmm—

In that very instant,

A golden crystal roughly the size of a clenched fist materialized, appearing to pierce through the fabric of the room before dropping gently into my open hand, casting a soft, radiant golden illumination across the space.

‘So this is an authentic Dragon Heart.’

Its dimensions were significantly smaller than the massive organ Harley had observed when peering into Heratos’s chest cavity, yet the primordial energy radiating from it possessed an incredibly immaculate quality.

“The real question is… can I actually work with this right now?”

However, the moment my fingers closed around it, an intuitive realization dawned on me.

While it was undeniably a flawless catalyst, my current operational tier was simply too low to successfully apply 「Customization」 to an object of this magnitude.

‘My capacity falls short? Then the solution is simple: upgrade the system!’

There was absolutely no turning back at this stage of the game.

I still maintained a comfortable reservoir of 2.29 million Karma points.

Accessing the ‘Other Skill Enhancement’ menu, I allocated 100,000 points to directly boost the proficiency of 「Customization」.

“Still insufficient?”

Yet the system indicated it required further advancement.

Biting back my rising frustration, I immediately injected another 200,000 points into the trait.

This left my remaining balance sitting at 1.99 million points.

A brief pang of regret hit me as the primary digit rolled over… but almost instantly, pending dividends flooded into the account, restoring my total to an even 2 million points.

Simultaneously, the interface signaled that 「Customization」 was now fully operational for the target, instantly delivering a wave of profound relief.

‘No point in delaying this.’

Despite the current energy emission remaining perfectly contained and my residence being insulated by layers of protective enchantments, leaving an item of such immense power exposed for long was an unnecessary risk.

Whish—

The exact millisecond I triggered the ability,

The brilliant, golden Dragon Heart resting in my palm began to dissolve, gently crumbling away into fine, glittering particles.