Nectar — Part 2
The first sensation was a refreshing clarity.
A crisp and clear liquid—no, a mass of mana—coursed through my insides, washing over every inch of .
It spread to my heart, into my bloodstream, and throughout my entire body, cleansing everything as it went.
It felt as though each and every cell in my body was awakening.
A feeling of being reborn.
It was like my very existence was ascending to a higher plane, carried by this exhilarating and refreshing sensation.
Crack, crack.
Fsssshhh.
I could hear my bones popping, as if beans were roasting in a pan.
Each muscle fiber unraveled, only to reassemble itself stronger than before.
Every pore on my body opened, expelling toxins in thick clouds of smoke.
However, neither the fire alarm nor any mana pollution sensors went off.
All the expelled waste was instantly incinerated by the golden flas.
Unfortunately, the euphoric sensation didn’t last long.
It barely lasted a minute.
While my body had indeed strengthened, it hadn’t undergone a dramatic transformation akin to shedding an old self for a new one.
It was more like I had received about one-tenth of the benefits of a full-body rejuvenation.
I opened my eyes, feeling a lingering thirst.
‘How disappointing.’
Despite activating Potion Dependency, Potion Addiction, and Mana Absorption, it felt like I hadn’t fully harnessed the effects of the Nectar.
My mana circuits, heart, and bloodstream were brimming with mana.
Clearly overcapacity.
There was so much mana that my senses had beco slightly dulled.
When I tried to move my hand, there was a subtle lag in the motion.
Not enough to be a real problem, but just enough to be noticeable.
And on top of that, the mana was slowly dissipating.
If I didn’t stabilize it soon, it would all vanish.
‘Still, I’ve reached level 2.’
My mana circuits had expanded significantly.
They had grown larger, more complex, and thicker.
The downside was the state of the mana flowing through my circuits and veins.
It was abundant, but unrefined. Potent, yet rough.
This was the point where I needed a proper mana cultivation thod.
Once I controlled this overflowing mana, I was sure to reach level 3.
Maybe I should’ve asked for a cultivation technique along with the Mountain Breaking Sword Art.
No.
Warrior Kim is better suited to professions other than warrior.
Among the warrior-class professions, I should aim for one of the most common types.
The ones that are so widespread that they guarantee a certain level of performance.
Warrior.
A class that strengthens the body and uses refined mana to unleash techniques. That would be a perfect fit for Warrior Kim.
‘My next goal is clear—get a mana cultivation technique.’
With that, I raised one finger.
Trait Switch.
I equipped the traits I had gained after consuming the Nectar and overcoming the Divine Fever. As I focused on my fingertip and ntally clicked to activate the new trait, a faint sting flared at the tip, and a small black fla flickered into existence.
A tiny fla, weak like a candle, faint like a dim star in the Seoul night sky.
[Black Fla]
“Kya!”
I couldn’t help but exclaim in amazent.
This was a top-tier trait among the top tiers.
It dealt fire-type damage, making it extrely versatile against many enemies.
It could be applied to any weapon, armor, consumable, or even a technique.
And just because I was a warrior didn’t an elental damage wasn’t necessary.
To fight ghosts, spirits, or intangible monsters, I’d absolutely need sothing like this.
“Let’s see…”
I cleared all my equipped traits except for [Black Fla].
Then I conjured several of the black flas around , just as I’d done before when I had to use my barrier to fend off the Divine Fever.
I conjured exactly twelve.
The mana consumption wasn’t too bad. It required focus to maintain, but it didn’t drain much mana, even without any traits equipped to assist it.
‘Perfect for training.’
The rough and unrefined mana caused by the Nectar side effects was manageable.
Maintaining the twelve Black Flas was challenging enough to help
refine my mana.
To keep the flas going, I had to control the mana with precision, care, and unbroken focus.
“Nice, nice.”
For the ti being, I decided to dedicate myself to training both the Black Fla and the Mountain Breaking Sword Art.
I could get a mana cultivation technique soon enough.
That would require so money—at least several hundred million won. So, I’d have to wait for the head of Jaegumun to pay up.
‘How many traits do I have now?’
Ti for a quick review.
I counted calmly.
One, two, three, four…
What the hell?
The final count: 35 traits.
How long had it been since I dropped into this hellhole known as Arcane Seoul? Yet, I’d already gathered more than thirty traits.
“Amazing.”
I’ve really been grinding hard.
Among those traits were top-tier ones like Black Fla, Mana Barrier, Domain Shield, and Mana Shield. The Mountain Breaking Sword Art was also highly rated among its type of traits.
Feeling proud, I flopped onto the bed.
‘I need to get a sword.’
How much money do I have?
The answer: 51 million won.
This included the money I originally had, the earnings from a few intense dungeon grinds before I t Seo Woojin, and the proceeds from synthesizing and selling the mana cores I collected.
I had to pay my hotel bill soon, so after setting so aside, I’d be left with around 48 million won.
‘As for the 1 billion, I’ll leave that buried for now.’
With 48 million won, I could buy a decent sword, restock my guns and grenades…
Maybe I should go for sothing high-end?
An enchanted item, perhaps?
‘No, that’s a pipe dream.’
Even the simplest enchanted sword costs billions.
Unless I planned to spend the 1 billion won that the Jaegumun head promised, it wasn’t worth dreaming about right now.
‘It’s better to focus on getting good equipnt.’
I needed a full-body protective suit, a foldable helt with a visor, an assault rifle, and a high-powered automatic shotgun.
A high-quality longsword and a wrist shield.
Grenades, flashbangs, tear gas, and sealing bullets as well.
Should I buy a few grenades while I’m at it?
Maybe not a full-on grenade launcher, but an under-barrel attachnt for my rifle would be a solid choice.
“Phew…”
I laid back for a while, and soon my eyelids grew heavy.
Not surprising, considering all that had happened today.
Though the sun was still up, I ended up drifting off to sleep.
So, I didn’t notice.
Late at night, my phone was buzzing persistently.
It wasn’t until the next morning, when the sun was already high in the sky, that I finally woke up and checked my phone.
[Superhuman, are you busy?]
[I’ve been calling, but you didn’t pick up, so I’m leaving a ssage.]
[It’s about what we discussed in the car. Can we et tomorrow?]
[As you know, passing on martial arts and joining a sect isn’t easy.]
[I’m sure you’ll need my help.]
[I understand why you’re hesitant.]
[Isn’t it because of the guys who’ve been opposing you?]
[Ignore them and stand firm.]
[We’re talking about Jaegumun here. Once you learn their swordsmanship, your path as a superhuman will be set.]
[Sure, the disciples might complain about favoritism.]
[But so what? This is Jaegumun and Jaelboan.]
[There’s more I want to say, but it’s better to talk face-to-face, so I’ll end the ssage here.]
[Please respond when you see this.]
[Best regards, Choi Sunsoo, Manager of the Labor Office.]
Huh?
What the hell?
What’s all this talk about martial arts and joining a sect?
We never discussed any of this.
A strong sense of unease crept into my chest, sothing about the ssage was off—odd, out of place.
Then it hit .
I realized it after staring at the screen for a long ti.
It was coded.
A diagonal code.
The first few letters of each line, front and back, had been used to send a hidden ssage.
[Clearly [Do]n’t…]
[You’re [Hes]itating…]
[Ignore [Th]ose…]
[Stand [Fi]rm…]
[Jaegumun…]
When I pieced it together, it ford the sentence:
[Dagger Gang Run] (TL Note: Only makes sense in Korean)
I stared at my phone screen.
What the hell does that an?
Is he warning
to run away from the Dagger Gang?
Or is he telling
to flee to the Dagger Gang?
‘It’s definitely not telling
to go to them.’
All the local rchants around here are connected to either the Dagger Gang or the Iron Fist Gang.
While Choi Sunsoo’s office falls within the police patrol zone, it’s still a place where fists talk louder than laws.
If he could’ve sought help from the Dagger Gang, Manager Choi would’ve already done so.
There’s only one possibility I can imagine.
‘That idiot.’
I cursed under my breath.
It had to be Manager Choi who leaked the information.
Not intentionally, of course. He must’ve slipped up.
Judging by the ti the ssage was sent, it was late at night.
What, did he get drunk?
Then, in his drunken stupor, did he slip up and get captured by the Dagger Gang, only to be tortured for information?
It seed unlikely that Manager Choi had betrayed .
If he had, he wouldn’t have needed to send
a coded ssage like this. He could have just lured
in with a phone call.
The situation felt strange.
Soone I’d always expected to betray
was actually trying to protect ?
And at great personal risk, sending
a secret warning?
I assessed the situation coldly.
Manager Choi had told
to run, and I had no reason to risk my life trying to save him.
There was only one reason I was hesitating.
Would running really solve the problem?
‘The Nectar… Damn it.’
Who would believe
if I said I’d already consud it?
No one would, not until they cut
open, or soone else got cut open first.
If I fled and rumors spread, it wouldn’t just be the Dagger Gang coming after . I’d have bounty hunters swarming —superhuman bounty hunters.
I’d rather settle things here once and for all.
[I’m not feeling well. I need more rest. I’ll co by your office around 8 PM. Let’s plan for that.]
[Understood. I’ll be waiting.]
Manager Choi, who used to call
imdiately after any text, had now sent a reply via text.
This, more than anything, confird my suspicions.
Click.
Pulling my hoodie low over my face, I left my hotel room.
I grabbed the full 51 million won from the safe.
Not wanting to run into anyone, I took the ergency stairs and slipped out through the back door of the hotel.
“Good day.”
I ignored the security guard I passed by.
Practically jogging, I made my way to the nearest gun shop.
It was the sa one I visited right before my fight with Roe Deer’s gang.
“Hm?”
The shopkeeper, a laid-back woman enjoying the air conditioning, turned to look at .
“You’re that custor from before, right? How’d the gear work out?”
Yeah, it worked great.
The rifle and baton both got wrecked, but if I hadn’t had them, I wouldn’t be standing here now.
Without a word, I slamd a golf bag onto the counter.
Then I opened it and pulled out all the cash.
The shopkeeper’s eyes went wide.
“What’s this? What’s going on? You in trouble?”
“Busy, so hurry. I’ve got 50 million won here—no, just 48 million. Get
an assault rifle, an automatic shotgun, a sword-and-shield set, full-body armor, a folding helt, ammo, and so grenades. Oh, and an under-barrel grenade launcher with a few grenades, if you’ve got it. Also, a suppressor for the rifle.”
“50 million? For everything? You must really be in so deep shit.”
“That’s why I’m here. Hurry up, no ti to waste.”
I shoved the thick bundles of cash toward her, keeping one for myself.
She slowly counted through the stacks, then smiled with satisfaction.
“Don’t know what kind of trouble you’re in, but looks like you hit the jackpot. But still, 50 million won won’t quite cover everything. The sword and shield and armor are fine, but rifles, shotguns, and grenades? They’re illegal.”
“They’re not. Register this.”
“Huh? Wait… a superhuman ID? You’re a superhuman? No way… So, you managed to beco one after all? Not bad, not bad. You know what? Since you’re a cool custor, I’ll throw in a deal. I’ll keep my margin low for this. If you’re ever in another tight spot, co back to . Got it?”
“Deal.”
With a whirr and a click, the wall spun around and a hidden shelf popped out, revealing her stash of illegal firearms.
The shopkeeper wasted no ti pulling out the requested items.
“Here’s the assault rifle… What happened to the one I sold you last ti? What? It got smashed by a superhuman? You could’ve at least brought it back. I could’ve resold it as a second-hand item. Anyway, here’s the shotgun, the armor, the sword-and-shield set… Oh, wait. Are you just going to wear the armor alone? Want to buy a tracksuit to go over it? It’s factory-made, but I threw in a bit of lower-tier mana material. It can stop a few crappy handgun rounds. It’s perfect to throw over the armor. Then, here’s the under-barrel launcher, grenades, flashbangs, suppressor…”
I stepped into the fitting room and changed into the full-body armor. Over it, I put on the tracksuit, then packed everything else into the golf bag, except for the shield.
The shield, in this case, was more like a forearm guard. A long, reinforced tal plate attached from my wrist to my elbow.
The shopkeeper fastened the shield onto my left arm.
“With the tracksuit being this loose, no one will even notice. And the foldable helt’s tucked into the hood of the tracksuit. Just pull the hood over your head like this, and boom, instant armor. Convenient, right?”
“Was it designed like this?”
“Yeah. If you’re not a level-3 superhuman, you have to hide your gear. That’s just how things are these days. That’s why it’s so expensive.”
Everything was ready.
As I hoisted the golf bag onto my back and turned to leave, the shopkeeper slapped
on the back.
“I don’t know what you’re up to, but make sure you kill them all! And don’t get yourself killed. It’s a real downer when soone I know bites the dust.”
“I’ll try.”
Choi Sunsoo’s Labor Office was just around the corner from the gun shop.
I walked past it, my hood pulled low, and glanced inside.
A row of rough-looking n sat inside, while the cashier casually fiddled with their smartphone as if nothing were amiss.
From the outside, it seed normal enough, but I noticed sothing was definitely wrong.
The n sitting inside weren’t supposed to be there. I’d killed all of them.
They were part of Roe Deer’s gang.
Since then, the labor office had been mostly quiet, with the occasional flurry of activity during the early hours of the morning. But now, the place was packed?
At this ti? During lunch, when things were usually dead?
And the cashier, calmly sitting there, despite Choi Sunsoo being gone?
He had to be in on it, too.
And those n? Definitely gang mbers.
Most likely Dagger Gang.
Rushing into the labor office now would be a rookie mistake.
I needed to strike at their headquarters.
I waited for nightfall.
I didn’t just sit around doing nothing in the anti.
I headed to a certain building near the goshiwon where I used to live and inford the gang guarding the place.
“Tell your boss this: I’m attacking the Dagger Gang tonight.”
“Huh? What the hell?”
“Think about it. If you want to take over Gwanak District, don’t be late.”
“Hey! Wait a sec! Hey!”
Flashing my superhuman powers, I easily evaded them.
The gang mber tried to chase after , but there was no way a re thug could keep up with a level-2 superhuman like .
And so, the night ca.
Once the sun had set, I began to move.
[Shooting] [Stealth] [Feign Death]
[Mana Barrier] [Bright Eyes] [Sprint]
This was the perfect trait set for killing people.
The ti for war had arrived.
–TL Notes–
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