Episode 3: Age of Ghosts / Chapter 47: Colonize (4)

TL: emptycube

Editor: Obelisk

{Entering the Supply Store of the Flame Wing Tribe.}

{Calculating Retribution… Able to enter the lowest level store.}

There was a suggestion about first learning more about the supply store. When he thought about wanting to use the supply store, a message appeared and when he decided he wanted to enter, his body disappeared.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a dark basement area. Drab rocks were left naked and he could see worn-out metal tools and doors here and there. A white-haired alien, with a nose that extended down to his lower lip and a wide mouth that followed its jawline, sat crookedly at a desk.

“Who are you? First time seeing you here.”

The alien yawned once before asking. Like Flame-Rain, he was fluent in Korean.

“… I came to use the supply store.”

“Ah, of course, you came to use it. Or why else would you come here? Did you come by yourself? You’re quite foolish. Let’s see… Earth? There’s a place like that? And you’re a sovereign looking like that?”

His tone was very rude. It was to the point where it felt like he was provoking him on purpose.

However, Choi Hyuk didn’t reply as he thoroughly examined the alien. When he did that, the alien said with a less enthusiastic voice.

“Go through that left door. Don’t even think about causing a commotion. I don’t give a damn if you’re a sovereign or not. If you annoy me, I’ll turn you into a seedbed for Starving Ghost Spore Flowers.”

Then he crossed his arms again and closed his eyes.

Choi Hyuk silently stared at him before entering the left door. The alien wasn’t likable from the start.

No matter how he looked at it, the place had an underground prison theme to it. Barbed fences extended on either side of the long hallway and items were displayed inside.

{What’s that? Where did he come from? He looks funny.}

A few groups of aliens were spread out along the hallway. He had seen them before. To be exact, he had seen their species before.

Aliens with small, pale figures seemed to be the same species as Dawn Lightning Keholeun, while the large aliens with various types of antlers seemed to be the same as Deer Antlers Keushisuit.

{That’s the bastard. The earthling who received deferred judgment this time.}

{Earthling?}

{Yeah. The one who crushed Keholeun and Keushisuit.}

{Really? Someone like him?}

In front of him were aliens that looked identical to Keholeun. 3 of them. They were talking about him. Even as he was passing between them, they didn’t stop talking. They weren’t purposely letting him hear their conversation. It was simply because they didn’t care as they believed he wouldn’t be able to do anything.

Amongst them, there was even one who was thinking about calling Choi Hyuk out and provoking him.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

However, Choi Hyuk was faster. He stopped precisely right next to the group. Then he looked down at them, who had small, pale figures, and said.

“Hey, you’re noisy.”

{Ha?}

They were speechless, but Choi Hyuk pushed forward.

“You have something to say?”

Their expressions turned cold.

{Don’t get ahead of yourself and just keep going your way.}

One of them warned him.

Choi Hyuk grinned. He felt a fight would break out. Adrenaline started pumping and the ends of his hair rose.

‘Will I win? Or lose? How strong will they be?’

His heart started beating. Choi Hyuk wordlessly examined each of their faces closely.

They seemed to be intimidated by that.

{This bastard…}

An alien pushed Choi Hyuk and took a rotating disk from his pocket. However, the others stopped him. They said to Choi Hyuk.

{We’ll see you on the field…}

The aliens, who he thought would try to fight once he provoked them, actually retreated. He suddenly recalled what the alien at the entrance said. ‘If you cause a commotion, I’ll turn you into a seedbed for Starving Ghost Spore Flowers.’ His influence seemed to hold quite a bit of power. This was quite depressing.

Pft.

Choi Hyuk looked at their faces and smirked before moving away.

{Keke. You’re quite the rookie, aren’t you?}

{Yo~ I heard you took out Keushisuit. Let’s fight next time!}

{But will you be okay? Those ‘Pyrio’ species are narrow-minded and will constantly annoy you? Want this hyung{1} to help you?}

Aliens, who looked similar to Keushisuit, started to chatter. He wasn’t sure if it was alcohol or not, but they kept drinking a light green liquid, some of it even dripped down from their lips. One alien had a coiled horn like a unicorn’s, while there were also, amongst others, some with short horns like a cow’s, crooked horns shaped like lightning and slender horns like thorns. They seemed to each have their own individual horns.

They looked at him and giggled unpleasantly.

Choi Hyuk simply raised his middle finger at them as he passed by.

{Huh? What’s that? Is he saying thank you?}

{Something seems off?}

They raised their middle fingers at each other as they continued to drink the green liquid to their heart’s content.

**

Inside some of the barbed fences were rooms with opaque curtains where aliens were trying on weapons and armors.

{Sovereign Choi Hyuk. Welcome to the supply store.}

He had only gone a few more steps when he suddenly heard a voice. It was using formal speech. It seemed unfamiliar. Choi Hyuk stopped in place and looked around. There wasn’t anyone there.

“Who?”

{I am the AI of the lowest level supply store, Supply-01173. I will assist you in using the supply store.}

“Really?”

Like he thought, it was weird to hear formal speech, but it turned out to be an AI.

{You are able to purchase various equipment, consumables, and skills here. You are also able to purchase various facilities and daily necessities as well. Facilities are essential for sovereigns.}

“What do you use to buy things?”

{You use Mission Points.}

Currently, Choi Hyuk only had 100 Retribution. He had earned 200 points on his last mission and had already spent 100 to enter the colonizing lands.

‘For Mission Points to have been currency…’

Choi Hyuk smiled bitterly. If that was the case, then he might even have to search for and complete other missions. He needed Mission Points to purchase equipment and skills, and in return, they would increase his chances of survival.

For him to have to complete missions with a 75% death rate to survive… it was quite ironic.

“There probably isn’t much I can buy right now… First, show me your items. Starting with armors and weapons I can use.”

{As you wish. I will prepare Fitting Room 0087 for you.}

A yellow arrow appeared and pointed towards a room covered with an opaque curtain. As he approached it, the fence blocking his way opened up and the opaque curtain swallowed him up.

{Choi Hyuk, Earthling. Generating equipment that fit four-limbed intelligent beings.}

Clunk. The ceiling opened and all sorts of armors and weapons came down. There were lightsabers he had seen in movies, an electric gun you wore on your head, a sphere that moved however you wanted it to once you connected to it with your karma and even cold weapons{2} that had what looked to be magic symbols engraved on them.

There were even various armors. From a belt that would automatically create a barrier of karma if injected with karma, to armors from modern and medieval times, no, armors from various civilizations were mixed together.

Besides them, there were also items and accessories with special skills like night vision.

There weren’t a lot. As they were supplies, they only reserved cost-effective items that didn’t overlap with each other as much as possible.

The majority were C rank while there were the occasional B and D rank as well. If he counted the small rings and necklaces as well, there were approximately 100 items humans could use. Amongst them, there were none Choi Hyuk could currently afford.

{Even the most inexpensive item starts at 200 points.}

All he had was 100 Mission Points.

It would have been nice if he could buy something, but he simply engraved them to his memory.

If the announcement was true, then only sovereigns were able to use the supply store. Meaning the only person on Earth who could supply C rank and above equipment was Choi Hyuk.

‘Please write down what kind of items they sell.’

Were Baek Seoin’s words.

When he took out a pen and paper, the AI asked.

{Would you like a catalogue?}

“… Sure.”

It should have told him this beforehand. Choi Hyuk stealthily put away the pen and paper.

{It costs 100 points. Will you buy one?}

“Ha… It wasn’t free?”

He sighed.

Choi Hyuk, who had bought the catalogue, tried on each and every equipment and tested them out. He decided to write small notes about their effect and power on the catalogue. The catalogue was a rectangular glass pane. A hologram appeared above it. You could even record voice messages.

It took quite a bit of time. Now that he had finished trying out all the equipment, Choi Hyuk stretched his back and asked.

“Now show me the consumables.”

{Should I show you all the ones that are priced under 100 points?}

“No, all.”

{We have approximately 1,000 different types of consumables.}

“… That’s quite a lot. Show me the popular ones.”

Clunk. The ceiling opened up again. This time, he could see some familiar items. Handy Bags, Health and Karma Recovery Potions, Item Order Requests, Item Reinforcement Requests and others appeared. For some reason, he felt happy.

He looked at the Recovery Potions and licked his lips. He needed them, but he lacked Mission Points to buy any.

He had stashed a lot of potions whilst escaping Kangdong District. Choi Hyuk, who possessed a Handy Bag, had enough potions for almost a thousand people all to himself. However, he had already used so many of them that he was starting to get a little low.

‘Since potions are the only way to recover…’

As Choi Hyuk had invested most of his karma on Control, Power, and Speed, he had no choice but to continuously fight risky battles… You could say potions were must-have items for Choi Hyuk.

Each potion was 20 points. If he hadn’t bought the catalogue, he could have bought 5 but…

“Ha…”

Choi Hyuk was sad because he had no money.

Perhaps it was because he didn’t have any money, but the consumables that filled the rack didn’t catch his eye. Since he already had the catalogue, he simply checked which items were popular and moved on.

“Done.”

As he said that, the rack went up and disappeared. The AI asked.

{You have exhausted all your points. Will you come back next time?}

“…”

Though they were the words of an AI, Choi Hyuk felt as if he was being disregarded for having no money, so he shook his head intensely.

“No, show me skills this time.”

{What kind of skill are you looking for?}

Though it seemed like he was deciding on impulse… he had already decided on a skill he wanted to see.

“A skill where karma covers a sword.”

It was the skill Choi Hyuk developed to kill the Wyvern of Destruction – Karma Blade. He wanted to compare his regularly used original skill with alien skills.

He was always curious about his level. How did he compare to those lowest ranked warriors? Was he at least average? He had beaten Keholeun and Keushisuit, but his sample size was too small.

{There are 5 recorded skills.}

“Show me.”

At his command, a hologram appeared. He saw different types of aliens, some who looked like humans but only possessed 3 fingers, or, amongst others, had blue skin.

Karma was bursting from their swords. There was a Karma Blade that looked solid, one with karma bobbing up and down like flames and another one that was specifically for lightsabers as it noticeably changed the brightness and color of the light.

“I want to know their power…”

As he said that, a message window appeared in front of his eyes. The skills were priced depending on their Power, Stability, Karma Efficiency and Skill Cost.

They were mostly between B rank and D rank and had a C rank average if you added them together. Skill Costs were an exception in that they displayed a numerical value, the average of which was 50.

After closely examining them, Choi Hyuk requested.

“Show me Soaring Slash.”

{Yes.}

The only recorded skill that he possessed.

——————–

{Soaring Slash}

Releases a blade of karma and bisects the enemy.

-Power: C

-Stability: D

-Karma Efficiency: C

-Skill Cost: 61

——————–

It seemed like its Stability was low due to the fact that it was a long distance attack and its Skill Cost was quite high.

Choi Hyuk, who was browsing through the skill, suddenly became curious.

“… Where do the skills come from?”

{We purchase and store skills of value created by warriors of the Flame Wing Alliance.}

“You purchase them?”

His attention peaked.

{Yes.}

“Then can I sell skills as well?”

{Will you report your skill? After evaluating the report, we reward Missions Points based on its value.}

Choi Hyuk thought for a moment. Should he keep his skill a secret? Or should he sell it?

Choi Hyuk decided logically. Though his skill might work on the lowest rank warriors for now, it would be difficult against stronger opponents. Just looking at the ‘Flame Wing Tribe’s Karma Heart Discipline’ he received as a reward for killing the wyvern, his perspective on how to manipulate karma had changed on a fundamental level. The aliens’ skills were much more refined and profound than Choi Hyuk’s.

Choi Hyuk wanted to see what kind of assessment his original skill would receive from this world.

It was necessary to understand exactly where he stood.

And he happened to not have any money.

Choi Hyuk replied.

“Yeah. I’ll report it.”

{What kind of skill is it?}

“First… Karma Blade.”

Blaze!

Clink, clunk!

The surrounding holograms disappeared into smoke and a rack came down from above.

On top of the rack was a single white sword with a wire attached to it.

{1} Hyung – What a young male calls an older male.

{2} Cold Weapon – Any weapon that does not use explosives. I believe this word is translated literally from other languages.

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