Wednesday 24 August 2016

MEMORIZE EP.4

I Use My Privileges. Pt.(1/4)

An unknown energy is making your Strength stronger. Strength has increased slightly.

An unknown energy is making your Agility stronger. Agility has increased slightly.


Your inner Magic Power is expanding like an explosion! You are almost at the limit of  control! Magic Power has increased greatly!


Lady Luck smiles on you! She has her sight on you! Luck has increased greatly!


Seeing the messages, I couldn’t hope for Strength and Agility to increase significantly. There was not much I could do. Granted, Strength was Strength, but 96 Agility point in Hall Plain was a high figure that could be counted on one hand. Still, my expectation for Magic Power and Luck grew greatly. Though it sounded like an ordinary event message, there was a special flavour text.  


‘It’s really been a long time since I felt this excited. It’s unfortunate my Vitality didn’t increase but...’


Even then, he had never expected to be granted these privileges in the first place. Just this much was already extraordinary. Willing my thumping heart to relax, I called up the Player Status Window.  


< Player Status >

1. Name : Kim Su-Hyun (Year(s) 0)
2. Class : -
3. Affiliated Nation : -
4. Affiliated Clan : -
5. Title · Nationality :
Principal who is required to validate his entitlement, a Spare Player · South Korean
6. Gender(Sex) : Male(23)
7. Height · Weight : 181.5cm · 75.5kg
8. Alignment: Lawful · Chaos

(Before Change)
[Strength 86] [Resistance 92] [Agility 96] [Vitality 78] [Magic Power 48] [Luck 36]
(After Change)
[Strength 94] [Resistance 92] [Agility 98] [Vitality 78] [Magic Power 90] [Luck 88]

< Achievements (0) >
< Special Ability (0/1) >
< Latent Ability (0/4) >


‘Strength increased by 8, Agility by 2 points, Magic Power by 42 points, Luck by 52 points. 108 point increase in total.’


Good. This was really good. The Attributes with miserable figures transformed into eye-poppingly high number after the messages.  


Although this was something I should be happy about, the Vitality was a huge detraction to my eyes. As I constantly compared it to the other Attributes, my heart was speared with regrets.  


‘Why did Luck increase rather than Vitality….’


Compared to the other Attributes, Vitality was so important that it could be called the ‘pillar’ or the ’root.’ Using an analogy of a car, if the Magic Power was the car engine, the Vitality would be the car frame. I had current 78 points in Vitality, quite a middling value.


‘I should be able to draw out the output one way or another but…. sigh.’


Mankind’s greed seemed endless. Even though my Attributes were so much better than before, my regret did not disappear.


My mind meandered, but for now, I decided to leave my discontent aside and continue. There was still more privileges to accept. I needed to refrain from leisurely killing time.   


“Player Kim Su-Hyun. Will you move on to the next privilege?”


“Hmm. Then shall we….. No, wait a moment.”


The moment I was about to nod mechanically, I reflexively shook my head in a no. As Attributes was something out of my hand, I went into it immediately. But that was not the case with the others. From now on, I could select my own path and choices. I needed to be cautious and focused on every single decision.    


“Seraph. Can you tell me how much time is left till the Rite of Passage.”


“1 hour, 42 minutes and 23 seconds.”


“Wait, wait, give me a moment to think. For 30 minutes…. No, 10 minutes.”


“By the will of the Player.”


I immediately closed my eyes and went deep into my thoughts.


In Hall Plain, I was strong. I was strong to a certain extent, seeing I was able to grasp the Zero Code with my own hand. While I had the qualification to be called strong, I knew that I could never claim to be the ‘best’ or the ‘strongest.’ I was so hopelessly far from achieving such title. My low Magic Power was always a shackle that dragged me down.


Although my Magic Power problem was solved for now, if looked at another way, I might have already reached its ceiling. Though thinking about it, it wouldn’t be wrong to say my physique had hit its limits as well. Outward it showed that I was year 0 but in reality, I had loaded up 10 years worth of growth. There were ways to increase Attributes through rewards, equipment and elixirs, but the most common, popular and difficult to increase consistently was through ‘training.’


Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying it’s all bad. Depending on the individual, I saw that on average most Players reached 70-80 point range through training alone before the growth stopped. If you take that into consideration, my Attributes was quite dazzling.    


‘To a point, this was also quite ordinary.’


There were always special cases that jumped beyond prediction. Some whose attribute started off at 70 points and above. Rather, I should change my thinking to expect such situations. The miracles and mishaps I experienced in my first time around, there was no guarantee that it would happen again. For my desires, I needed the strength to make it happen.


I opened my eyes. Seraph was still sitting on top of the altar, waiting for my command. Seeing her, I quietly opened my mouth.


“Seraph, for my next privilege I would like to request for the Class Selection.”


“Yes. Player Kim Su-Hyun’s request has been received. The principal is granted the priority access of Class selection before Rite of Passage and admission into Hall Plain. In addition, for one time only, the Class wrapped in secrets will be revealed to you.”    


Class selection was part of the process that validated entitlement through the Player Setting. More precisely, after surviving the Rite of Passage and before entering Hall Plain, there is a process a person had to pass through in the Room of Summoning. I had skipped through all of it and had access to Player Setting right from the start.  


I had the mind to chose a Swordman related Class this time around as well. My Magic Power had increased to an extent that other Class path had opened up, but I had already thought of this already. I just had a feeling that Swordman would be the best selection, as I had already walked this path before. A shortcut was right in front of me, there just no need to break new grounds.
A chart stuffed with information floated up in the air. Without even looking, I turned off the Rare chart. With only the Secret chart left, I began to look through it carefully.


Job List (Secret)
  • [War Mage]
  • [Field Maestro]
  • [Requiem Assassin]
  • [Soul Commander]
  • [Jewel Mage]
  • [Copy Archmage]
  • [Death Knight]
  • [Brilliance Priest]
[………]


‘Nope…. Not this…. Hmm…. I’m sure that guy definitely had this Class….’


Was there this many Secret Class? Momentarily, I lost the ability to speak as I saw more Secret Class than I thought possible. Moaning and groaning about this would get me nowhere, and at this rate, this would eat up all my time. So I turned to Seraph for help.


“Seraph. Among the Secret, is it possible to show me the Swordman related Class only?”


“That is easily accomplished. Are you perhaps of the thought to select a Swordman related Secret Class?”


“And if so?”


“I recommend it. It’s an excellent choice. Please wait a moment. I shall sort out the list immediately.”


The reason I was so hung up on Class was that the Special and Latent Ability was directly connected to it. Through Attributes, the Class was decided. Through the Class, Special and Latent Abilities were decided. This was the order I had set on. With the ‘Unique Ability’ in mind, I had to prepare the best I could for the two Latent Abilities that would be chosen randomly.  
 
“Sorting has been complete. I shall bring up the chart now.”


“Hmm.”


I once again looked meticulously through the Class that Seraph filtered for me. The one I wanted was a Class that could readily face against a Mage. In my first run through, with my low Magic Power and Luck, I had trouble every time I fought against Mage. Even as I think about it now, goosebumps arose and my teeth began to chatter.   


‘Found it.’


As I reached the halfway mark on the list, I finally found the Class I wanted.


Job List (Secret)
  • [Sword Specialist]
  • [Spell Sniper]
[………]


Secret Class from each Class category possessed a peculiar ‘power.’ The above two Class appeared in my first run, and their might rang throughout the surroundings.


The power of the Sword Speciality was granting an advantage to every action related to the sword and had the ability to cut through anything that existed in the world. The power of the Spell Sniper was a fixed probability in completely resisting all Magic.


To expand on the Spell Sniper a bit more, any spell that was cast with Magic Power below 75 point was completed resisted. Below 85 points, 80% of the damage was reduced and below 90 points, it granted 50% damage reduction.


If I didn’t think through and went straight to Class selection privilege, I would have chosen the Spell Sniper without thinking twice. If I could overlap one of the Latent Ability, Magic Resistance, with its power, then excluding the Grand Mages that breached the upper limits of Magic, the ordinary Mages could be mow downed like simple dummies.


But I had thought it out before my selection, and my mind was sharply inclined to the Sword Specialist. The power to cut anything that existed in this world, it was a power with such  fatal attraction I would dare not give it up. I recalled the Player who was active as a Sword Specialist. His might was nothing to scoff at. He cut, slashed and cancel numerous Magic. Like the leaves blown off by the Autumn wind, countless Mages that faced him were swept away.


Spell Sniper was good, but Sword Specialist was formidable.


“…….”


After a moment of deliberation, I was set on selecting Sword Specialist. Looking at it, it was no different than choosing an adventure. As if I was under some kind of spell, I opened my mouth and spoke with a light voice.
“I will go with Sword Specialist.”


“Sword Specialist? While not bad, the Spell Sniper is considerably good Job. Considering Player Kim Su-Hyun’s current Magic Power, only rare few Mages will be able to harm you.”


“Well, you are right.”


“Then why….”


“But if you think in reverse, it means I am already quite resistant isn’t it?”


“…….”


I could see Seraph was still unsatisfied. My heart shook, but I stood firm and spoke strongly.


“I will give you an example so think carefully. There is a guaranteed fixed success rate for a targeting system, and a non-targeting system with directional control. Electronics has a certain success rate, but also a clear limitation. But the latter relies purely on my skill and the success rate depends on it. Did you get what I said?”


“I have understood the point.”


“Then I shall go with Sword Specialist.”


“By the will of the Player.”


Seraph looked like she was thinking for bit, and then she nodded once right away. Immediately a message popped up telling me that information has been updated.


Congratulations. You have attained the Secret Class, [Sword Specialist]. Player data has been updated.


Seeing the message, I felt strangely relieved. I am not sure if it was because I passed my first challenge with little difficulty, but I was noticeably more relaxed. But it was still too early to relieved. Steeling myself, I prepared for my next privilege. Seeing that the next privilege was out of my hands, tension began to boil in me once again.


3. You are granted the privileges concerning Special Ability and Latent Ability. Ordinarily, Players are allowed 1 slot for Special Ability and 4 slots for Latent Ability. Player Kim Su-Hyun’s Latent Ability slot will be expanded by 1. Including this, the Hidden Ability, Special Ability and Latent Ability slots will be freed up, with the selection choice given to the Player.


With a different process, the ‘Unique Ability’ slot can be opened. The Unique Ability is applicable above the Special Ability. If you abandon the Unique Ability, 1 Special Ability slot and 5 Latent Ability slot with will be freed up for the Player’s desired selection. (At this point,
the expanded slot will be automatically applied to the Latent Ability)
 
I began to harp on the information that was stored in my brain.


Special and Latent Abilities traits developed one by one depending on a person’s inclination. Just the chance to decide on the Ability right from the start was a huge benefit. This just showed how significantly different my starting line was compared to other. But this also meant I had to be extremely careful with my choices.     


To reiterate, Special and Latent Ability was the most important aspect that influenced the efficiency of the character. Just earning a trait that was well suited for the person’s Class made the Player strong. But when the reverse happened, the Class loses the ability to be that much more efficient. For one to be strong, all the Attributes, Class, Ability had to be in harmony.     


“Seraph, I would like my next privilege to grant me Abilities.”


“Yes. Then I shall ask whether you want to activate the Unique Ability slot. The difference is….”


“I already know. I am going to go with activating the Unique Ability.”


“Understood. An Ability slot will be consumed momentarily. Also, from the remaining four slot, two will be chosen at random.”


I had faith. Like comparing how the Player’s growth affected how Attributes were enhanced, Abilities developed with a similar rule set. To put it simply, it was most likely that the result would be influenced by the physique I achieved as a Sword Master. My thinking was impeccable, the chance of getting two Abilities from my first run was extremely high.   


As I waited by flicking a mental abacus, Seraph gave me a signal, it seems the preparations were complete.


“Unique Ability, Special Ability, Latent Ability list has been called. Will you choose to select first, or activate the two Latent slots?”


I was not without a tinge of anxiety. But getting hit by a stick first was better. I decided to spin for the two Latent Abilities first.


“Activate the two Latent Ability Slot first.”


===== Translator’s Note =====


I am sure you noticed by now that plot moves very slowly. That’s because there are 1068 chapters in this story. Including this and until EP.7, the story still deals with privilege selection.  


RAW Language Usage.
All the Class have Korean and English name given by the author. For example:
(Sword Specialist) 검술 전문가 and 소드 스페셜리스트. The first one is a direct translation and second one is phonetic.  


직업 and 클래스: Job and Class seemed to be used interchangeably by the author.


PREVIOUS     NEXT