But now it was a choice I could never go back from. I guess I’ll have to see it as just a bit of fun gained from the job change stage.
Then, another message popped up.
“Hey there, teacher. Let’s take it a bit easy.”
– You’ve seized the chance to kill your enemy. Where are you standing, gripping the cold, sharpened dagger?
1. In front of the enemy 2. Behind the enemy
Damn, there’s no time to think.
But for me, it was an easy question.
“Kekekekek… this is easy.”
There’s a certain romanticism in boldly staring into the enemy’s eyes and facing them head-on.
“But secretly sneaking up and stabbing them in the back while seeing that twisted face would be way more satisfying.”
The old man named Jo Gi-man, who has lived seven lives.
I wanted to give that cocky bastard, who thought he knew everything and looked down at the world, a good smack.
Clap-clap-clap-
Even just imagining it was exhilarating, making my ribs dance.
“I’ll choose option 2.”
– By choosing option 2, you continue the possibilities of [Bone Cloak Nightblade] and [Shadow Bone Infiltrator].
“Oh? This time it’s not a waste. It’s good to keep any possibility alive. But are these… stealth-specialized jobs?”
Interestingly, the two jobs I received the possibility for had abilities called ‘Shadow Bone Cloak’ and ‘Existence Vanishing,’ both of which seemed to be higher versions of stealth abilities.
“Hmm… I wonder if this relates to how the restrictions on stealth were lifted after clearing the quest.”
Anyway, this choice wasn’t bad. Stealth is a must-have ability for me.
On the other hand, I was curious what possibilities I would have received if I had chosen to confront head-on.
“I bet it would be something related to Skeleton Knight…”
Suddenly, I recalled Natalan Jackman, who was charging straight toward Nargul.
“Hmm- that would have had a certain atmosphere too.”
A commander who maintains harmony in the workshop while coordinating the battlefield.
But that role would belong to Yeon-hee, and I was going for singular overwhelming power, so it wouldn’t quite fit.
Short thoughts were disrupted by another incoming message.
This one definitely felt different from the previous questions.
– Summon, Fire, Water, Wind, Ice, Nature, Rock, Light, Sand, Lightning, Death, Void, Gravity, Sound, Shadow…
“Uh… what the hell does that mean?”
The messages continued, suddenly stopping and followed by another.
– This is a list of the primary abilities experienced by ‘Skeleton Mage Il-wol.’
“Primary abilities, huh… But?”
– You can enhance or newly continue three of these possibilities.
– If you don’t choose in time, three will be chosen randomly. You have 10 minutes.
“…… This is definitely good. But what happens to the ones I don’t choose? It would be nice if I could use them a little too.”
Though enhancing something sounded appealing, I couldn’t help but feel regret about the possibilities of the remaining ones.
“Hmm- three, huh? Does that mean I should focus and choose…?”
The system seemed to have infinite possibilities, but at times like this, it felt like it was trying to guide me toward more efficient choices.
Anyway, I calmly examined the options listed.
“Summon, that’s Yeon-hee’s ability… Do I really need to take that?”
Choosing summon might bring some positive reinforcement to abilities like [Essence Devouring] or something vague like that.
But I wasn’t alone, so efficiency needed to be considered.
Why bother when there’s a genius summoner around, right? It seemed to me that if Yeon-hee raises an army, I’d be up front facing the strongest enemy.
The minion ‘Gori’ had its uses, but I didn’t expect it to play a decisive role against tough opponents.
“Well… summon is off the list.”
Next, Fire was definitely a must-have ability. Honestly, I wanted to invest all three possibilities into Fire.
On the contrary, Water and Ice seemed to stem from Goddess Irmana and Noh Ha-yoon’s abilities, and they felt opposing to Fire, which made me cautious.
“Water and Fire are probably incompatible abilities.”
Similarly, Light is also an extreme opposite to me. It’s funny for that to even be an option, right? Who would I kill with that?
“Speaking of which, it should be around here somewhere.”
Right before exiting Nargul’s dungeon, I had defeated the light sorceress ‘Joo Ye-seul’ and stored her corpse in my inventory, so surely it must be lying around here somewhere.
“I’ll have to gather those corpses later.”
Not that I planned to consume them or anything, but you never know when they might come in handy later.
Nodding, I went back to review the primary abilities presented.
Wind and Lightning were surely related to the ‘Lightning Step’ or [High-speed Flight] I’d used for moving.
Death seemed tied to [94 Lives]… and Sound probably popped up due to the ‘Speaker’ monster?
Everything else made sense, but what about Void? What’s that?
It was something I had never even heard of before.
Sorceress Yu Dal-ri’s nature-related plant magic.
The woman with Shadow Ability who had monitored my house a few days ago.
The sand-controlling Orc Sorcerer.
Cha Jin-hyuk’s gravity manipulation ability.
It seemed to include things I had only seen with my own two eyes.
“Void, emptiness. Have I ever felt such a thing?”
A feeling of absolute nothingness… something absent, nonexistent. That kind of sensation.
“That feels reminiscent of crossing a gate.”
The hollow feeling experienced every time entering and exiting a dungeon. There were surely similarities.
Thinking that way, something came to mind.
“The red-haired Elf I met in the Orc dungeon.”
Specifically, the portal ability used by the elderly man next to her.
“Come to think of it, Nargul used something similar in the hidden dungeon. Tanya also opened a portal when showing the Titan.”
Though it was slightly different from the one the old man had used.
“Is it an ability of connecting two unlinked spaces, a concept of space?”
I still couldn’t confirm my suspicions.
Yet it was undeniably unique, which intrigued me. How could I possibly not choose something like that?
“Okay. Let’s go with Fire and Void. Then the last one… Shadow? This one feels a bit… ambiguous. The blue-eyed fellows wearing Shadow Cloaks feel a bit icky.”
It seemed related to stealth, but since the restrictions on stealth had been lifted, it’d be best to see how powerful it really was before making a decision.
“Gravity would also be nice, but it has a critical downside.”
I remembered being fascinated by Cha Jin-hyuk’s knight back in my life, and looking up information about it.
Gravity manipulators were extremely rare throughout history, but they all had one thing in common: while the ability is active, no other abilities can be used at all.
“It’s also a rapidly consuming magic power. Well, I can manage that, but it definitely delays my ability to respond to the danger approaching Yeon-hee.”
“Clap-clap-clap…”
Should I go for Wind or Lightning?
There’s no need to stress the importance of mobility.
While both Wind and Lightning could be used offensively, the ones I currently have were for mobility.
“I think Lightning would be the best bet. I’m already using Lightning Step.”
If I raise the possibility, I could enhance the shakiness of the Lightning Step I was currently awkwardly executing.
It’s still an ability not recognized as a skill, so it would definitely help.
Moreover, the intense presence of that colossal Giant Skeleton when I unleashed [Flame Explosion] five times played a significant role in my choice.
The blinding light that illuminated the whole world and the ominous waves of lightning that seemed to tear the sky apart.
Chills—
Just thinking about it made my bones shrink.
“…… Yeah, let’s go with Lightning.”
If I could even get a fraction of that tremendous entity’s power, taking down Jo Gi-man would be child’s play.
“I’ll choose Fire, Lightning, and Void.”
– Enhancing the possibilities of Fire, Lightning, and Void.
“Alright, let’s trust my choice.”
I was rather cautious in my selections, but perhaps it wasn’t necessary to think too seriously about it.
Back in the last job change, it said I gained potential for rock magic.
Ultimately, for 20 levels straight, all I used was Fireball, and I didn’t even see the rock’s shadow, thinking about it, potential was just potential.
“If I had gotten closer to Bae Joo-ah, would I have been able to use rock magic?”
As I momentarily pictured Bae Joo-ah wiping her glasses with a frown, a sudden message popped up, sending a chill down my spine.
– You are facing your final enemy. If you do not kill the enemy, this world will face its end. The enemy’s combat power is 100, and your combat power is 80. You have five incapacitated companions, and for every one you sacrifice, you gain 5 combat power. How many companions will you sacrifice?
1. Do not sacrifice any.
2. 1
3. 2
4. 3
5. 4
6. 5
– There are no options that do not involve making a choice.
“Wow- that’s something. The question, that is.”
Even this time, the silence trick seemed to have been blocked as well.
“Huh- Let’s think calmly. This is just a question reflecting my inclinations, right?”
……
“Damn! Of all the times to have exactly five, why go and mess with me?”
Thoughts of Yeon-hee and the other party members flashed through my mind, but I took a moment to think it over calmly.
Setting aside the ambiguous answers, what if I chose option 1?
Choosing not to sacrifice anyone even if the world comes to an end! That’s the kind of choice you’d see in a shounen manga.
If humanity or camaraderie were to be scored by the system, that choice would surely get a generous rating.
But would the system managing dungeons and awakened ones care about that amidst the countless deaths daily?
“That’s nonsense. This can’t be right.”
So, what if I choose the coldly rational option?
“Sacrificing all to gain 105 combat power to deal with the enemy. That’s the best, right?”
Fighting a 100 to 100 match with one remaining opponent would be far too risky.
Even if I kept the last person, would I really be able to fight without it weighing on my mind?
If I lose, the entire world disappears, and I can’t take that risk.
Even though—
My head pointed to sacrificing everyone, that choking feeling of five companions stuck in my throat.
Memories of drinking with Yeon-hee, Bae Joo-ah, Baek Ah-rin, Ham Eun-young, and Noh Ha-yoon flickered in my mind.
I kept substituting them into the problem. This question, merely a job change option, held more weight than I could brush off.
Even just thinking about abandoning one of them made me uncomfortable.
“Five… Yeon-hee… If I can’t save Yeon-hee and try to save the world…”
What’s the reason I was born and live in this world?
“… Option 5. I’ll sacrifice four.”
– After sacrificing four, gaining 20 combat power, you fought fiercely against the final enemy. However, due to your incapacitated allies, your focus was divided, and you ultimately lost.
– Due to your choice, the world has perished.
Damn—
“Please don’t tell me the world really ended?”
– Don’t worry. It’s just part of the process for the job change.
“Phew—”
– But there’s no guarantee the same situation won’t occur again.
“…… Right. It’s certainly… you’re right.”
A bitter feeling set in as my thoughts deepened. The prospect of that recurring situation… really something I didn’t want to think about.
“……”
And so silence washed over as time passed.
“… But is this really the end?”
I expected something to appear after the questions ended, but strangely, this time nothing emerged.
No possibilities gained or lost, nothing happened at all.
“Hmm… So this was purely for gauging tendencies.”
As I sighed in relief internally, the long-awaited message finally popped up.
– Based on the path you’ve walked so far, the most suitable choice is presented.
“Uh? The most suitable, you say? Is it a single choice this time?”
It’s an exhilarating statement, suggesting that it will present the best option tailored to my choices and journey, without the need for further deliberation.
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