Level Up Machine

Chapter 80 The Power to Shake the Continent (1)

‘The decoding should be almost done by now, right?’

Yeong-sik’s eyes sparkled as he took out a black hexagon from his inventory.

The S-grade memory cube he obtained from Lekras.

To others, it was a useless item, but to Yeong-sik, it was even more valuable than the S-rank rare item he acquired by killing Lekras.

“I didn’t expect such an annoying lock to be on it…”

Back in his room at the Leviathan Guild’s annex, Yeong-sik looked down at the black cube in his hand with a disgruntled expression.

“Analyze structure.”

*Ding!*

[The S-grade memory cube is locked.]

[Currently in the process of unlocking.]

[Progress: 99.68% (Remaining time: 8 minutes)]

“It’s almost done.”

Yeong-sik’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the message window in front of him. The lock on the memory cube was the reason he hadn’t been able to use it for the past 10 days.

‘Still, it’s better than not being able to analyze the structure at all.’

Unlike the Lacteon Type 2, where the analysis failed due to insufficient level, it was better to spend some time unlocking the cube than to be unable to analyze it at all.

“Eight minutes…”

Yeong-sik muttered softly as he checked the time displayed in the message window. It was a bit too long to just wait idly, but too short to start doing something else.

“Status window.”

Yeong-sik decided to use the spare time to check his stats. A translucent blue window appeared in front of his eyes.

[Summoner Information]

Name: Yeong-sik

Level: 73/73

Class: Mechanical Engineer (Hidden)

Health: 3238
Mana: 2553

Strength: 135

Agility: 140

Endurance: 138

Dexterity: 142

Intelligence: 108

Wisdom: 103

Luck: 110

Charisma: 137

[Analyze Structure: Lv 6]

[Dismantle: Lv 2]

[Extract: Lv 3]

[Manufacture: Lv 4]

[Enhance: Lv 1]

[Light: Lv 2]

[Repair: Lv 1]

[Dragon Transformation: Lv MAX]

“My stats are certainly abnormal.”

Yeong-sik looked at his stat window with an incredulous expression.

Typically, a summoner’s main stats are their level + 15. This means that at Yeong-sik’s current level, his agility or dexterity should average between 88 and 90.

However, his stats were absurdly high, about 70 points above his level.

In terms of pure stats, he was comparable to a ranker who experienced an explosive stat increase upon leveling up from 99 to 100.

‘If I reach level 100 like this, I’ll have physical abilities comparable to rankers at levels 103 or 104.’

Yeong-sik looked at his status window with a satisfied smile.

If he could consistently raise his level cap, it wouldn’t be long before he could fight on par with Tiria or Kang Ha-rin even without using his suit.

‘It’s a pity about the skill levels.’

Yeong-sik examined his skill levels and felt a bit disappointed.

While the Analyze Structure skill was at a high level because it was the core of his strength, the other skills were not as advanced.

Especially skills like Enhance or Manufacture, which he had decided to level up someday, were completely neglected. He had been so focused on leveling up that he had relatively neglected his skills.

‘Since I don’t have any combat skills to use…’

Most of his skills were not applicable in battle. This meant he needed to take the time to level up his skills, but he had been too preoccupied with consecutive events to pay attention to them.

‘Once I secure the minerals, I’ll need to focus on my skill levels.’

With that thought, Yeong-sik meticulously reviewed his status window.

*Ding!*

[Successfully unlocked the S-grade memory cube.]

[Analyze Structure is now available for the S-grade memory cube.]

A clear ringing sound echoed in Yeong-sik’s ears as he pondered over his status window. His eyes gleamed.

“Finally…”

Yeong-sik gulped as he held the black cube in his hand. He had never deciphered an S-grade black cube before.

“I hope my Analyze Structure level increases…”

Hoping for an increase in the level of Analyze Structure might have been a bit greedy, but he couldn’t help but feel a little excited.

For Yeong-sik, the level of Analyze Structure increasing meant more than just a higher level cap or new weapons.

“Alright. Let’s get ready.”

Yeong-sik muttered as he took out a bag full of blue potions from his inventory. He placed the bag within easy reach and turned his gaze toward the black cube.

“Analyze Structure.”

Yeong-sik used the skill on the S-grade memory cube he held.

-Wooong!

“Ugh…”

Just like when he had decoded an A-grade memory cube, his mana started draining at an incredible rate.

Expecting this from past experience, Yeong-sik quickly drank a mana potion from the bag.

A refreshing sensation spread throughout his body as the mana replenished. It was a top-grade mana recovery potion that he had spent a lot of money on.

In an urgent battle situation, he wouldn’t have the leisure to drink potions like this, but this wasn’t such a situation.

-Wooong!

“How much longer is this going to keep draining…?”

Yeong-sik’s expression twisted in frustration as the S-grade memory cube continued to drain his mana endlessly. If he hadn’t prepared the potions in advance, he would have collapsed from mana exhaustion.

“Ugh…”

Yeong-sik groaned as he downed four of the high-grade mana recovery potions he had prepared. Even though they were top-grade, drinking them in quick succession greatly reduced their effectiveness. He could feel his mana being rapidly depleted, as if the black cube was a dry land endlessly soaking it up.

“Damn it!”

Yeong-sik cursed as his mana was completely drained. In a state of mana exhaustion, his consciousness began to fade.

Beyond his fading consciousness, a clear ringing sound reached his ears.

-Ding!

[The analysis of the S-grade memory cube has been completed.]

With the blue message window, an image appeared in Yeong-sik’s mind.

“Ugh…”

A Dragonian with a contorted face let out a painful groan. His chest was grotesquely torn as if something had ripped it apart. Dark red blood continuously poured from the hideous wound.

The injured Dragonian was Lekras, someone Yeong-sik remembered well.

-Who are you?

Lekras glared at a spot with burning eyes. There stood a vague figure.

-So, you’re the Dragonian favored by Kargas.

The vague figure ignored Lekras’s question and smiled slyly.

Hearing the name Kargas, Lekras’s eyes glowed fiercely.

-How dare you utter His name so carelessly! Do you have a death wish?

With a fierce roar, Lekras charged at the indistinct figure. The figure reached out a hand toward the oncoming Lekras.

A mass of red energy gathered in his right palm.

-BOOM!

A terrifying explosion swept over Lekras’s entire body. With a groan, Lekras collapsed to the ground.

The indistinct figure walked over to Lekras and stomped on his head, speaking in a low voice.

-I have no interest in a small fry like you. Where is Kargas? You must know.

-Ugh… Do you think I would tell you… Kaah!

The figure grabbed Lekras’s head with his hand. The area that seemed to be the figure’s mouth twisted into a grimace.

-Is that so? Then I’ll make you talk by force.

He muttered as he pulled out an item from his coat. It was a black hexagon—the black cube.

-You should be grateful. This is quite a precious item.

He said this as he shoved the black cube into Lekras’s head.

-Aaaaargh!

Lekras let out a scream of agony. The figure laughed and continued speaking.

-Let’s see. It would be a waste to just extract the information… Yes, let’s do that.

With a playful voice, he brought his face close to Lekras.

-Kill the humans.

His hypnotic voice whispered into Lekras’s ear.

-Ugh, aaaah…

Hearing the voice, Lekras’s expression became dazed, and he began to drool.

-You, are…

In his fading consciousness, Lekras glared at the mysterious figure.

The indistinct form began to become clearer. As it came into focus, something red caught Lekras’s eye.

And then—

“Huh!”

At that moment, Yeong-sik gasped loudly. He slumped to the ground, clutching his chest. The horrific pain Lekras felt lingered like an afterimage.

“…I couldn’t see it.”

Yeong-sik bit his lip as he recalled the final part of the vision. The indistinct form had become clearer, and he saw something red, but he couldn’t tell what it was.

“Damn it!”

Feeling an odd sense of urgency, Yeong-sik cursed. His heart pounded, and his head felt hot. It was as if he had forgotten something he must not forget.

-I have no interest in a small fry like you.

The words spoken by the indistinct figure in Lekras’s memory flashed through Yeong-sik’s mind.

“Lekras… a small fry?”

Yeong-sik clutched his forehead and muttered in a low voice, unable to comprehend.

‘That’ Lekras, a small fry?

He couldn’t even begin to imagine the immense power this mysterious figure possessed.

“Haa…”

A deep sigh escaped from Yeong-sik’s lips. Thinking about the indistinct figure that appeared every time he decoded a black cube left him feeling overwhelmed.

‘I’ll think about it later.’

Worrying about that figure now wouldn’t provide any solutions.

‘No, the solution is already clear.’

Yeong-sik’s eyes gleamed sharply as he thought about it. The only way to overcome this was to grow stronger and expand his influence.

He had to become powerful enough to call Lekras a ‘small fry’ himself. That was the only way to defeat the monsters’ ‘creator.’

‘For that purpose…’

Yeong-sik’s gaze shifted to the blue message window.

There, the rewards obtained from successfully analyzing the S-grade memory cube, which he hadn’t noticed before due to Lekras’s memories, were listed.

“Let’s see…”

Yeong-sik looked at the blue message window with a slightly expectant expression.