Chapter 78: Legendary-grade Equipment (4)
They caught Hong Jun-Tae and stopped him from being the whistleblower who would make Korea a clean country. Instead, Oh Kang-Woo turned him into a tool that could be used for any necessary malpractices and political schemes.
Kang-Woo sighed in relief and returned to the special storage room.
Cha Yeon-Joo approached him and asked, "How did it go?"
"I told him to report that he hadn't been able to discover any instances of corruption. And of course, I stopped him from becoming a whistleblower," Kang-Woo answered.
"Phew. That's good to hear."
"Yeah. All the corruption in Korea's government almost came to light."
The fact that Korea's political scene was still corrupt made them sigh in relief.
Baek Hwa-Yeon stared at them silently.
"What?" Yeon-Joo asked.
"No... It's nothing," Hwa-Yeon replied, grabbing her forehead in confusion.
She didn't know if she should be happy or not because of that situation.
'The world is a complex place,' Hwa-Yeon thought.
She had difficulty getting used to things like this because she'd lived her whole life like a soldier.
"Now that the bothersome problem has been resolved, let's try it on," Kang-Woo said.
He put on the Black Pearl Coat in anticipation.
Riiing.
[You have put on Legendary-grade equipment.]
[Commencing imprinting of Black Pearl Coat.]
A pleasant chime of a bell rang inside his mind.
Fwoooom!
After that, a complex blue magic circle appeared on the Black Pearl Coat and then flowed into Kang-Woo.
Riiing.
[Imprinting successful.]
[Black Pearl Coat has accepted Player Oh Kang-Woo as its owner.]
[Demonic Energy has risen by 5.]
After a few blue message windows popped up, Kang-Woo felt changes occur within his body, as his Demonic Energy stat had suddenly risen from 83 to 88. Additional demonic energy flowed into Kang-Woo seemingly from thin air. This was due to the power of the system that Kang-Woo had yet to fully understand.
'Amazing,'?Kang-Woo thought, looking down at the coat in surprise.
Ever since his Demonic Energy stat surpassed 80, just a single stat point increased his demonic energy stores drastically.
'If I use the skill on top of this massive effect...'
His demonic energy stat could reach 93 immediately, although it would only last for one minute.
Kang-Woo smiled, feeling satisfied.
'I honestly didn't have much hope that it would raise my Demonic Energy stat just because it's a piece of Legendary-grade equipment.'
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was fate.
Kang-Woo checked his status window with his equipment on.
[Status Window]
[Player Name: Oh Kang-Woo
Level: 54 (Sixth Awakening)
First Awakening Trait: Authority of Predation (Rank: ???) *The majority of the Trait's power is currently sealed.
Second Awakening Trait: Insatiable Hunger (Rank: C)
Third Awakening Trait: Mana-Hungry Demon (Rank: A)
Fourth Awakening Trait: Ruler of Demonic Energy (Rank: A)
Fifth Awakening Trait: Demonic Beast Summoning (Rank: S)
Sixth Awakening Trait: ??? (Rank: ???) *The Trait will fully unlock after achieving the Ultimate Demonic Body.
Strength: 38
Dexterity: 35
Health: 32
Mana: 0
Demonic Energy (Unique Stat): 88 (+5)
Intelligence: 25
Wisdom: 23
*Current Equipment Effects
Physical Defense: 990
Magical Defense: 650]
"Good."
He had only put on one piece of Legendary-grade equipment, yet there were significant changes in his status window. The Demonic Energy stat wasn't the only one that had increased; his Physical and Magical Defense stats had also increased by a lot too.
'Is it okay for equipment effects to be this good?'
Kang-Woo thought he'd be on par with World Rankers if he just relied on the power of dozens of pieces of Legendary-grade equipment.
'Although that won't happen.'
Just one piece of Legendary-grade equipment had caused such a huge uproar. It wasn't something anyone could buy just because they had lots of money. However, that didn't mean it was impossible to possess Legendary-grade equipment. Legendary-grade equipment could be made as long as one had the right materials and people.
Kang-Woo mentioned what he was thinking about to Yeon-Joo.
She smirked and said, "That's impossible. Leaving the equipment grades aside, you can only wear five pieces of equipment."
"Only five?"
"Yeah. Didn't I tell you before that the mana flowing out of equipment envelopes your entire body? The effects cease to apply when more than five of those mana waves overlap."
'What an annoyingly convenient setting...'
Kang-Woo nodded disappointedly.
He had been thinking about getting as many pieces of Legendary-grade equipment as possible in the future. However, it seemed like he would need to give up on that.
'Well, at least I can wear up to five pieces.'
Nevertheless, Kang-Woo would get a great boost if he could get more Legendary-grade equipment that increased his unique stat.
"Why? Do you like the Legendary gear's specs that much?"
"I like them immensely," Kang-Woo answered, nodding without hesitation. "To the point that I would like to check how much stronger I've gotten."
"Hmm..." Yeon-Joo murmured. After thinking for a bit, she said, "Then how about a light spar with me?"
"Spar?"
"Yeah. There's a sparring room in the Hwarang Corps headquarters. Oh, Hwa-Yeon, can we borrow the sparring room?"
"Of course," Hwa-Yeon answered.
"Okay, thanks," Yeon-Joo said. Then she turned to Kang-Woo. "So? Wanna have a go?"
"I have no reason to refuse," Kang-Woo replied.
Yeon-Joo was one of the top ten Rankers in Korea. She was a good opponent for Kang-Woo to check how strong he had become after achieving his Sixth Awakening and equipping a piece of Legendary-grade equipment.
'I also want to see how strong Yeon-Joo is.'
They were allies, so it was important to know how strong she was and to what extent of the role that she could fulfill.
Kang-Woo wasn't the only one who was thinking that. Yeon-Joo was also scanning Kang-Woo with keen eyes.
'I wonder how strong Kang-Woo has become?'?she thought.
Yeon-Joo had been sure from the first time she saw Kang-Woo that he'd become stronger than her one day. Nevertheless, she hadn't expected him to become so strong in such an unreasonably short amount of time. His growth rate was so fast that it mocked every single record that Players had placed since the Day of Calamity.
Even Grace McCubbin, whom people considered to be the world's savior, hadn't grown nearly as quickly as Kang-Woo had.
'It isn't just a matter of speed.'
Yeon-Joo had heard that Kang-Woo had passed Level 50 and achieved his Sixth Awakening after the Oriax incident. Achieving the Sixth Awakening in just two months was amazing on its own, but that wasn't the issue.
'Kang-Woo defeated Mun Yeong-Ho when he was only at his Third Awakening.'
Kang-Woo was impressive not just because his leveling-up speed was fast but because he was unbelievably strong compared to his level. During his fight with Mun Yeong-Ho, Kang-Woo had been at his Third Awakening, while Yeong-Ho had been at his Seventh. Just in terms of stats, there had been such a huge difference between them that it was like comparing an adult to a primary schooler. It was impossible to overcome a gap like that even if there was a large difference in the ranking of their Traits.
'But Kang-Woo overwhelmed Yeong-Ho.'
It was true that Yeong-Ho had let his guard down, but an adult couldn't lose in a physical fight against a primary schooler just because of that. Yeon-Joo was sure that Kang-Woo had some other power besides his level and stats.
'I'll use this opportunity to find out what it is.'
There were still too many things about Kang-Woo that Yeon-Joo didn't know. Considering what they would be doing together in the future, she needed to understand his power.
"Shall we begin?" Yeon-Joo asked.
"Sure," Kang-Woo replied positively.
Yeon-Joo tightened her fists slightly while walking toward the sparring room.
'I'm not planning on losing.'
She knew that Kang-Woo was already as strong as a Ranker, but she didn't think that she would lose to him in her current state. After all, she was one of the strongest rankers in Korea.
However… it wouldn't be long before she realized she was wrong.
* * *
Slide!!
Dozens of chains scratched the floor. The floor of the sparring room had been built with special alloys, but it was no match for chains infused with mana.
The chains were scattered all over, slithering around like snakes. It was an unavoidable net of death that had been spread across the room.
Crack!
Nevertheless, Kang-Woo ran through the death net. He used the Authority of Haste and moved at supersonic speed, causing a sonic boom.
The chains quickly chased after him. Then he used the Authority of the Sky to completely ignore inertia and changed direction at a right angle. The chains on his trail lost him momentarily.
Boom!
Kang-Woo sent the chains scattering away with the Authority of Explosion and leaped through them without hesitation. The thorns on the chains dug into his skin, but he paid them no mind. He charged through the net of chains at a frightening speed.
"Kuh!" Yeon-Joo uttered.
She crossed her arms in an X-shape, and the scattered chains instantly gathered in front of her.
Kang-Woo opened his arms wide and clapped, making a deafening sound with his hands.
Boom!
"Kyaa!"
Fweee—
Yeon-Joo's hearing was momentarily disabled. She grabbed her ears and crouched down. Her consciousness began to fade away, and her chain shield lost its form.
'Authority of Shattering Air, Authority of Titanic Might.'
Kang-Woo raised his right fist, and black energy gathered around it. The black energy grew increasingly dense until it materialized. It seemed as if his fist had grown massively in size.
He lowered his hips, moved his right arm and leg back, and then rotated his torso. Kang-Woo used the force generated from the rotation to throw a punch forward.
"Skybreaker," he said.
It was a skill that required verbal activation.
A power that was a combination of the Authority of Shattering Air and the Authority of Titanic Might pushed out from his right fist.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The materialized energy brushed past Yeon-Joo and smashed against the wall of the sparring room. The one-meter-thick wall was torn apart like a piece of paper, and the sparring room crumbled.
"Ah... Ngh..." Yeon-Joo groaned.
She lost strength in her legs and fell to the floor. Yeon-Joo looked up at Kang-Woo in fear.
All those thoughts she had previously… about how she wasn't planning on losing and that she didn't think she would lose to him in her current state…? They were all nonsense.
"You monster..." Yeon-Joo mumbled quietly.
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