Chapter 7
Chapter 7:
“…What? You’ll think about it?”
Choi Taesik muttered in a reluctant tone.
It seemed Jincheol’s response didn’t sit well with him.
However, instead of pressing further, Choi Taesik took a step back.
“Then think about it while you meet the quota! I’ll come back later!”
With that, he cleanly withdrew, and Jincheol let out a soft exclamation.
‘As expected, it’s refreshing.’
What a funny guy Jincheol found Choi Taesik quite likable.
In the Sewers, most people were like Anchovy, after all.
‘Of course, he’ll have to pay the price for daring to use me.’
Business and personal matters had to be kept separate, with no exceptions.
Jincheol let out a faint chuckle as he turned his head toward the waterway.
It was about time to relieve the Demonic Nature.
In fact, the tips of his fingers, gripping the dagger, were trembling slightly.
‘Considering this trashy physical condition, holding out this long is pretty impressive.’
Maintaining rationality wasn’t an issue, but the aftereffects of Demonic Nature manifested clearly in his body.
He keenly felt the disconnect between his seasoned mind and his unrefined body.
Jincheol abruptly released the tight reins he had kept on his Demonic Nature.
At that moment.
“…Krrgh!”
A surge of exhilaration rushed through him.
It was the sensation of strength coursing through his entire body.
Of course, this was merely an illusion.
Heightened instincts didn’t create strength that wasn’t there.
‘If I let myself get swept away by this feeling, the backlash will be hard to handle.’
Demonic Nature was, in essence, a kind of overload that forcibly boosted output.
It was a double-edged sword, a highly dangerous weapon.
But.
‘If I achieve my goal before the blade turns on me, that’s all that matters.’
Jincheol indulged in it without hesitation.
Pushing beyond limits and thriving there was one of his specialties.
Flash—
A streak of blood-red light glinted in his Golden Eye.
Slash!
Jincheol began slaughtering the slimes indiscriminately.
Perhaps because he had surrendered to his instincts, his precision was slightly off.
Even so, it only meant his five strikes became seven or eight.
‘On the contrary, my reflexes and senses have definitely improved, so this is usable.’
Even as Demonic Nature ran wild, he steadily gathered data.
He safely extracted the slimes.
Cores and even planned for the future.
The first thing that came to mind was, naturally, ‘Mana.’
The primary goal has to be forming a Mana Core, right?
If I manage that, acquiring skills won’t be an issue.
Mana Core.
It was essential for mastering ‘Mana Skills,’ serving as a Player’s power source and Mana storage.
It was also a measure of a Player’s level.
Ranging from 1-star to 12-star, his goal in the Sewers was to achieve 1-star.
‘It’s laughable to call 1-star a grand goal.’
In his past life, Jincheol had reached 10-star.
He was undeniably a top-tier Player, having achieved a supreme state.
So, discussing 1-star felt absurd, but considering he was in the Sewers, it wasn’t strange.
‘In the Lower Floors, it might be different, but there isn’t a single 1-star Player in the Sewers.’
Accumulating Mana was that arduous.
But Jincheol was different.
He had a special method: consuming Monster Cores.
‘If I double my intake every day…’
In about three days, he’d reach the minimum level needed to wield Mana.
Then, even if a situation arose where he had to use force, there’d be no issue.
‘Dealing with a mere Sewer Rat should be easy enough.’
Even if the opponent had a physical enhancement skill, it wouldn’t matter.
Mana wasn’t just fuel for skills.
It was power in itself.
Simply circulating it through the body greatly enhanced physical abilities.
So, he could handle it sufficiently.
‘Besides, I know the mechanics of physical enhancement skills like the back of my hand.’
Mimicking similar effects without a skill was child’s play for Jincheol.
Then, shall I take it easy for three days?
Let’s see what abilities I’ll need next…
Jincheol leisurely wrapped up his thoughts as he extracted the final Core.
With this, he had not only met the assigned quota of five but also hunted a few extra.
It was to secure a surplus of Cores.
By then, the destructive urges from Demonic Nature had begun to subside.
The duration of Demonic Nature, the level of physical strain.
As he organized this information, a familiar voice rang out.
“Hey, rookie!”
It was Choi Taesik.
He glanced at Jincheol, noticing the slime residue clinging to his blade.
“You already met the quota? I came early on purpose, but as expected of an ace!”
He slapped Jincheol’s shoulder, acting chummy.
Then, he subtly brought up the main topic.
“So, what’s your answer? I gave you plenty of time to think, didn’t I?”
The proposal to skim Points behind the Crew Leader’s back.
He was demanding an answer.
‘Of course, it’s not even worth discussing.’
But causing trouble with Choi Taesik right now would be unwise.
Unlike with Anchovy, a half-hearted resolution wouldn’t do.
If it came to blows, he’d have to crush him so thoroughly that he’d never dare challenge him again.
For that, he needed to reach the level required to wield Mana.
In short, he needed time.
‘If I’m going to crush him anyway…’
A decent idea struck him.
Rather than just crushing him, what if he escalated the situation further?
If done well, he might be able to tie it into something that would aid his growth plan.
‘Not bad.’
While mentally sketching out a rough plan, Jincheol responded.
“Hmm, well.”
He deliberately dragged it out.
The reaction was immediate.
“What, you’re still thinking about it?”
Choi Taesik frowned as he replied.
Compared to the morning, his expressions were more overt and negative.
But Jincheol, unfazed, answered calmly.
“It’s about deceiving the Crew Leader, so isn’t it natural to think it over?”
“…Well, it’s not like it’s a small matter.”
Choi Taesik nodded repeatedly, muttering.
It wasn’t entirely unreasonable, though it seemed more like he was trying to convince himself.
His intentions were obvious.
‘He probably doesn’t want to make an enemy of me this early, heh.’
As if to prove it, Choi Taesik continued muttering to himself.
“A cautious guy is better than some rebellious punk trying to deceive the Crew Leaders from the start!”
“Exactly, that’s the spirit! Makes me like you even more!”
“Good to hear.”
“I’m being generous here! I’ll give you one more day to think, so I expect a good answer!”
“Do as you like.”
“Oh, and the tribute starts three days from now, so keep that in mind!”
Three days from now.
Coincidentally, it aligned with when he’d be ready to wield Mana.
‘Perfect timing. To move to the next step, I’ll need to face the Crew Leaders anyway.’
Though unintentional, the pieces of his plan were falling into place.
‘Let’s see how this plays out.’
Jincheol smirked as he watched Choi Taesik walk away.
***
In truth, daily life in the Sewers was largely the same.
It was only natural.
Meeting the quota and soothing an exhausted body with meager meals was about it.
From that perspective, Jincheol’s routine could be considered relatively special.
Or rather, more colorful.
First, the task he performed before bed: consuming Cores.
As planned, he doubled his intake each day.
The pain was considerable, but the presence of Mana grew steadily.
Unlike the smooth progress of Mana accumulation, his relationship with Choi Taesik stagnated.
Or rather, he intentionally made it so.
“The risk is just too high, isn’t it? Who’s going to take responsibility if we get caught?”
He delayed his response with plausible excuses.
Choi Taesik wore a sullen expression but didn’t give up on persuading him.
On the contrary, his efforts evolved day by day.
As part of this, Choi Taesik…
“Rookie! If you accept my offer, I’ll treat you to booze and meat once a month!”
He began dangling carrots.
The first offer was booze and meat.
Luxuries worth three or four times the price of bread and water.
Of course, it was a laughable proposition.
‘While conquering the top floors, I enjoyed delicacies every day thanks to others.’
Cheap meat and booze?
Not even close.
But instead of revealing his thoughts, Jincheol teased.
“Tch, just once a month? Who do you think you’re fooling? No deal.”
Unaware, Choi Taesik hurriedly grabbed him.
“Hey, hold on! Hear me out!”
As if making a grand decision, he raised four fingers.
“Once a week…!”
“Oh, so four times a month?”
“Y-Yeah! No senior would treat a newbie this well, you know?”
Choi Taesik forced a smile as he added.
At this point, it seemed his pride had kicked in.
Jincheol swallowed a chuckle rising in his throat and tugged a little more.
“Hmm, that’s tempting. It has been a while since I greased my throat.”
This kind of push-and-pull required finesse.
Sure enough—
“Right?! This kind of luxury is something even I rarely indulge in!”
Unlike before, Choi Taesik’s smile was genuine.
“Hmm, I might be persuaded with just a bit more.”
“Ugh… Fine, I’m feeling generous! I’ll adjust the split!”
“The split?”
“No separate tribute! Points from extra hunts will be split 6 to 4!”
“I get the 6, right?”
“Yeah! It’s a huge loss for me!”
Of course, it was just for show.
The essence of exploiting Jincheol hadn’t changed.
Even so, Choi Taesik’s face reddened as he made a threat.
“If you reject this, huh? As your senior, I’ll have to enforce some discipline!”
He waved his hand firmly, as if he wouldn’t back down further.
Seeing both the carrot and the stick, Jincheol took a step back.
“I’ll think about it positively.”
“You little…!”
“But I’ll decide after seeing the Crew Leader’s face one more time.”
“What?! You’re still dragging this out?!”
“Whether they check on us or not, I need to see it with my own eyes to be sure, right?”
“Ugh, fair point, but…”
Jincheol pressed on.
“Since tomorrow’s the tribute day, I’ll decide right before meeting the Crew Leader.”
“No backing out, got it?! A man’s word!”
“Weightier than gold, sure.”
“Good!”
Choi Taesik backed off only after repeated confirmations.
And so, while stringing him along, time flew by, leaving just one day until the first tribute.
The push-and-pull with Choi Taesik, the Mana accumulation everything was going smoothly.
If I keep it up tonight, I’ll be able to wield Mana starting tomorrow.
In other words, it was almost time to make his move.
Jincheol smirked and waited for nightfall.
***
That night.
Gulp—
Jincheol swallowed over twenty Cores without hesitation.
As a result, his body was incessantly roiled by Demonic Nature and impurities.
Fwoosh—
The pain relentlessly churned his insides, but it was bearable.
‘It’s about time I got used to this. Heh.’
Adaptation aside, there was a bigger reason.
It was none other than the lump of Mana coursing through his body.
Though only the size of a coin, its effect was more than enough.
The mere circulation of Mana quickly alleviated the pain.
‘Now, let’s see.’
Jincheol picked up a nearby rock.
A fist-sized lump.
He channeled Mana into his grip, thinking,
‘It’s been a while. Shall we establish some discipline? Heh.’
The moment he applied force with Mana-infused strength.
Crack—!
The large rock crumbled instantly.