BCST 34

chapter 34

At this point, I had already learned most of the core skills I considered important from the lower-tier common black magic.

So originally, my plan had been to focus on the [Spider] branch of magic.

I had been thinking of learning a core spell like [Thread Spinning] to create variables, or perhaps [Arachnid Grace], which would allow me to mimic the movements of a spider.

Those would definitely have boosted my combat capabilities by a large margin.

But when I escaped the dungeon and ended up with the “Artist Behind the Curtain” bound to me…

Seeing the souls it contained made me reconsider.

There were actually quite a few useful spells I had previously dismissed because they came with certain “conditions.”

And now, one of those conditions had been fulfilled: “soul possession.”

Normally, you would need to go through a process—like acquiring a special vessel such as an orb, or gradually building up through necromancy spells like [Spirit Vision], [Spiritual Inspiration], and [Spirit Binding]—before you could even unlock [Soul Harvest].

But unexpectedly, through U.M.O., I had already acquired the state of possessing souls.

Thanks to that, new magic had become available to me.

Of course, I had no intention of wasting Feinuf’s soul on some common necromancy like Rising Dead Body.

Lower-tier undead summoning was basically just those slow, mindless things out of old zombie movies.

Not to mention the inconvenience of needing to store and use actual corpses.

And if bounty hunters saw me using that, I’d be targeted immediately.

So instead, I chose a magic that was both practical and capable of harnessing Feinuf’s potential—one that resembled his own skills.

[Wailing Howl of the Specter].

A sorcery that conjures a spectral scream.

Anyone who hears it is then attacked by the soul I possess.

Because souls can ignore spatial limitations, this spell was convenient in many different situations.

Even more importantly, it inflicted spiritual damage, not physical damage.

That meant it could bypass the usual elemental resistances most enemies carried—making it broadly useful.

By the time you reach the 3rd tier, you have to start worrying about all kinds of elemental attacks and defenses.

And conveniently, Wailing Howl was a 3rd-tier spell.

All I had to do was spend the 8 points I had left.

So this was it, then?

I double-checked that all my points were distributed, then closed the trait window.

Bracing myself for another round of hellish suffering.

…Even though I had been through it many times before, it was still never easy.

And sure enough—

The moment my consciousness left the interface, my ears filled with the horrific sounds of my own body.

Crunch! Snap! Crackle—!

“……!”

Bones breaking. Muscles tearing.

Was this because I had raised my physical stats so drastically all at once?

The agony was far worse than anything I’d felt from previous trait upgrades.

And to think… I would have to endure this for several days?

The realization made me feel faint, my vision going black.

But there was one small mercy.

The pain was so overwhelming that my mental strength would deplete quickly, and I’d lose consciousness.

Based on my experience, I’d probably pass out within a day.

Crack! Snap!

Even as my bones shattered and my muscles twisted apart, I let out a faint, crooked smile.

Because the next time I opened my eyes, I would undoubtedly be far stronger.

When I woke up and checked my condition, I couldn’t help but be stunned.

Something was off.

Up until now, the traits I picked had never once betrayed my expectations.

But this time… why did it feel like they had?

Why?

“Why has my mana capacity increased so much?”

It was true that I had just advanced from 3rd tier to 4th tier.

And yes, each tier-up gave a substantial boost.

But this? This was absurd.

This was no ordinary increase—this was the kind of mana pool you’d expect from a 5th-tier mage.

Even before this, I already had an unusually large mana capacity compared to most black mages.

But now, this was beyond excessive.

Could it be…?

Driven by suspicion, I began circulating my mana.

The amount that used to strain my control was now flowing so easily that I could barely even feel it leaving my mana pool.

I played with it like a child fiddling with a toy, weaving strands of magic into string figures as I sat on my bed.

And I realized just how precise and refined my control had become.

Eventually, I dispersed the mana and checked all the other stats I had raised.

Then it hit me.

Everything had grown, but only [Mana] and [Mana Capacity] had skyrocketed far beyond the points I invested.

[Senses]? That was the only one I hadn’t actively tested yet.

Still, it was obvious. This was the work of that trait—“Cthulhu’s Second Tentacle.”

Those were the very stats where I had always shown abnormal growth.

And it seemed every unique feature of my body came from that trait.

I had thought my high starting stats were the end of it.

But now I saw that related attributes also came with a growth buff.

Just how broken was this trait?

For the sake of my sanity, I decided it was better not to apply normal logic to it.

So I got up, showered, and cleared my head.

When I came back out, I noticed a pile of missed notifications on my phone.

“Hm?”

Why were there so many?

Most were from Mia.

And a few from numbers I didn’t recognize.

“….”

Opening the messages, I immediately understood.

[Archive, Zone 58. Isn’t that where you went? Are you okay, Eddy?]
[If you’re alive, pick up the damn phone!]
[You’re not dead, right? RIGHT?]
[Stop making people worry! If you’re alive, call back NOW!]
[Ugh, seriously. You always do this. I hate it.]
[Why do you always go looking for trouble? They said a Legion showed up there!]
[I really, really don’t like this.]
[…Maybe I should’ve stopped you more firmly back then.]
[If you’re alive, at least come by the office so I can see your face.]

Clearly, she had heard news about Neuroteca 58.

Even the messages from the unknown number clicked into place:

[Mage, you dead?]
[If so, can I take the money you never picked up?]

This bastard.

[Kidding. I figured you wouldn’t die there. I’ve gotten stronger, so let’s do a mission together sometime.]
[Also, your handler’s worried sick. Don’t screw over your main breadwinner by cutting off contact.]

Reading through all of them left me with an odd feeling.

A sort of discomfort around my chest.

“…I see.”

I didn’t want to put a name to the emotion.

But I couldn’t deny—it wasn’t unpleasant.

Still… were we really that close?

Maybe they were overreacting.

“….”

After fiddling with my phone for a moment, I pulled up a contact.

[Mia Dunlevy]

This was going to hurt my ears.

With that thought, I hit call.

Rrrring…

After a few moments, the line connected.

[HEEEEEEEEEY!!!!!!!!!!]

I instantly pulled the phone far away from my ear.

Mia’s voice came pouring out, rapid-fire complaints.

Why didn’t I call sooner, why was I always like this, what happened, was it related to the collapse incident—

That last part caught my attention, so I interrupted.

“Collapse incident?”

[Haaah… so you weren’t there. Good. Just watch the news, will you? Everyone’s talking about it.]

I recalled her noisy reaction, then replied calmly.

“Right. I wasn’t anywhere near it. Had something else to do. Anyway, got any suitable requests?”

She took a breath, then spoke in a more even tone.

[Nothing major suited for you yet. Unless you just want some pocket money jobs. Want to take a look?]

“What kind?”

[Bounty hunting!]

Bounty hunting.

Clean work if you had the skills. Didn’t take much time.

Not a bad way to fill the gaps.

How much money had I saved so far, anyway?

Over 5 million credits, I thought.

But I’d need at least 10 million to secure proper status.

So, I should keep earning steadily.

And if I could pick jobs that also suited my needs, all the better.

“I’ll take it. Any good ones available?”

Mia brightened at my interest.

[Of course! Let’s see… forget the small fry street gangs. If it’s you, it should at least be a 2nd-tier. Got a preference?]

“A preference…”

I thought a moment, then answered slowly.

“I’d prefer a physical-type target. There’s something I want to test.”

[Perfect! I’ll shortlist some good ones and send them over. Check and let me know.]

After ending the call, a file transfer popped up almost immediately.

Efficient, as always.

Scrolling through, I stopped on one entry.

Name: Alibek Kibijo
Estimated Level: 2nd Tier
Bounty: 250,000 credits (alive)
Notable Equipment: Hydraulic Knuckle (left arm), Tuned Chrome Teeth

Not a bad amount. Strong enough, too.

What I liked most was his imposing appearance.

Over 210cm tall, massively muscular, with reinforced skeleton and augmented fibers.

That meant he’d be quite durable.

His criminal record sealed the deal.

Armed robbery, illegal cyberware trafficking. A fight record in underground arenas.

And—oh? He killed a cop?

Still alive after taking on the ACPD in Arkham City?

Even better.

The perfect opponent to test my enhanced physique.

Most of my stat points this time had gone into physical attributes.

And ever since, I’d been brimming with restless energy I hadn’t experienced before.

If I was going to unleash it properly, I’d need someone like him.

I set Alibek Kibijo as my next target.

“….”

Huh. No system window?

I waited a bit, but nothing appeared.

Guess these weren’t considered quests anymore.

Makes sense—if every little thing counted, people could just farm safe missions until they maxed out.

Even in the original game, point acquisition was deliberately limited.

Expecting more here was greedy on my part.

Admitting that, I shoved my phone into my pocket.

Now then… time to stretch my body.

I wasn’t without pride, after all.

After being crushed by an 8th-tier inspector in the Neuroteca incident, my ego had taken a serious beating.

It was time to beat down some local trash and straighten it back up.