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Suhyuk began putting his clothes back on. The state of his body had been thoroughly checked. By now, Jinwoon probably had a design in mind for the procedure.

But now there was one problem.

“The issue is the cost, isn’t it?”

It was the expensive fee.

“Given how good your canvas is, it’s going to be quite pricey.”

“How much do you estimate?”

“At the maximum, it could go up to a million. Maybe even more.”

“A million…?”

Suhyuk’s eyes widened. The cost was higher than he had anticipated. While that suggested the effectiveness would be tremendous, it was impossible to come up with that many points immediately.

Even for his past self, that wouldn’t have been a small amount. Though back then, he could have considered it a worthwhile investment by closing his eyes and bearing the expense.

Suhyuk checked the points he had.

『230,016』

Two hundred thirty thousand points. He had gathered a substantial amount quickly, thanks to the missions from the recent fourth-floor trial. Though revenue from the Player’s Channel video would soon come in, ‘It’s still not enough.’

Seeing Suhyuk’s troubled expression, Jinwoon asked,

“What’s the matter? Are you short on points?”

“……Yes.”

“I figured that would be the case. How much do you have?”

“Two hundred thirty thousand. Considering the trial fees, I have around two hundred twenty thousand available.”

“Is that so?”

Jinwoon scratched his chin, deep in thought.

After a moment, “Normally, I don’t do this, but….”

As if making a decision, Jinwoon spoke.

“I can accept payments in installments.”

*

『Available Points: 30,016』

The sight of points dropping all at once made Suhyuk sigh. Twenty thousand points vanished in an instant. Gathering them had been arduous, but spending them took mere seconds.

“Points just keep disappearing….”

Raising the skill level of Selfish Sacrifice required thirty-two thousand points. Additionally, more points would be needed to receive Jinwoon’s procedures properly.

No matter how much he earned, it seemed to leak away. Now that he had learned once, it was time to replenish the points.

‘I didn’t know it would be such an expensive skill.’

Crackle—

As sparks danced at his fingertips, Suhyuk muttered, almost amused.

‘Come to think of it, that was the same back then too.’

It wasn’t just Selfish Sacrifice. Reflecting, everything from Jinwoon’s procedures to holy swords and items with various stamina options had all been point-consuming.

Of course, the cost was justified by the effect, which was always substantial, often exceeding expectations.

“Do you know that Lightning is what killed that man?”

Jinwoon had been right. Increasing the skill level of Selfish Sacrifice, receiving Jinwoon’s procedure, earning points through streaming—it was all interconnected with facing the challenge of Lightning.

It was all a desperate struggle to master the Lightning skill.

Crackle—

As sparks danced at his fingertips, Suhyuk glared at the Lightning as if it were his mortal enemy.

‘Let’s see who wins this time.’

Thud—

It was then that Jinwoon returned.

“Are you bored? You’re doing strange things by yourself.”

In his hand, Jinwoon held a long needle and a flask filled with an inky black liquid. He proudly displayed the items in his hands.

“You probably don’t know, but this is all the rage among young people these days. Strange drawings they engrave onto their bodies.”

Jinwoon’s procedure involved directly inscribing formations onto players’ bodies. Like tattoos, these formations engraved deep into the flesh endowed players with mystical attributes based on their design and materials.

That was the essence of Jinwoon’s procedure.

“It’s called a tattoo.”

“Tattoo?”

“Yes, it’s an art of engraving pictures on the body.”

Jinwoon made a puzzled face, seemingly unfamiliar with the term.

“Is that some kind of procedure too?”

“No, it’s just for style. Like clothes or accessories.”

“Really? Engraving formations on the body is for style? I can’t understand today’s young people’s taste.”

For some reason, Jinwoon didn’t particularly like tattoos. He claimed they were aesthetically displeasing, although his procedures bore a resemblance to tattoos.

Of course, the procedure’s markings were mostly on the back, allowing them to be covered easily. Still grumbling in annoyance, Jinwoon positioned himself behind Suhyuk and asked, “Are you like them too?”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you also getting this for style?”

Suhyuk chuckled at Jinwoon’s question. It was a joke. They had already discussed the necessity of the procedure. As always, Jinwoon’s jokes were never funny. So, he would match the joke at the same level.

“Yes. So please make it as pretty as possible.”

Jinwoon grinned at Suhyuk’s response.

“Alright.”

And then,

Poke—

The sharp sensation of the needle piercing his back made Suhyuk’s eyes widen.

“I’ll make it pretty, just as you asked.”

*

It had been two days since Suhyuk left the lodging. It took longer than expected. Un Hyang, having ordered a ton of coffee and desserts on the company’s dime since morning, kept glancing at the door.

“He’s not back yet.”

“Indeed.”

Munch—

A hand reached for another piece of candy. Un Hyang’s eyes narrowed.

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Why are you still here?”

With an annoying expression and tone, Cheon Ryang answered while stealing more of Un Hyang’s snacks.

“Because if I stay here, I can eat the company’s treats as much as I want.”

“Aren’t you going back to work?”

“Nope, no word to return yet. Hey, let’s order another one of these. They’re tasty.”

Un Hyang’s expression twisted at Cheon Ryang’s nonchalant response. However, Cheon Ryang went ahead and ordered more snacks like candies and mooncakes, acting as if she had no cares in the world.

In the past, Un Hyang might have smacked her on the back and told her to head back quickly. But because it was her request that had brought Cheon Ryang to this place she hated, she had to tolerate it.

“Mmm, delicious. Maybe because it’s free.”

Ignoring Cheon Ryang’s annoying delight in the new mooncake, Un Hyang turned her attention back to the door.

‘It seems like the hiatus is managed, but…’

Thankfully, despite the sudden break, the reaction from the viewers wasn’t too loud. Having recently stream Jung Yuhan’s ambush, and considering the nature of Suhyuk’s skill-focused streaming, daily streams weren’t mandatory.

However, Suhyuk’s unexplained absence was concerning.

‘I hope nothing’s wrong.’

It had been two days already. Moreover, there was no reply to the messages sent through the kit. What could possibly prevent someone from checking the kit for two full days?

Even though John Dale said the issue with Blue Zone had been resolved, she couldn’t be sure. Maybe Blue Zone had made another move on Suhyuk.

Creak—

The door opened just then. The smoothly oiled sliding door opened, and Un Hyang immediately stood up. She hoped it was Suhyuk.

However, “……What?”

Cheon Ryang, who was reaching for another snack, froze.

Unexpected guests. Players from Murim, wearing swords at their waists, stepped in. Four men and one woman. Among them, the woman leading the group caught Un Hyang and Cheon Ryang’s attention the most.

She was cloaked in black cloth up to her chin and wore a form-fitting white robe.

“… Muhwi.”

Un Hyang murmured her name, glancing over the men accompanying her.

‘Five of them.’

They looked skilled, but that was it. They weren’t a significant threat. By assessing the opponents, Un Hyang could gauge their purpose. Without standing up, she glanced at Muhwi, who had approached.

“How have you been?”

Muhwi greeted her with a respectful bow. Un Hyang gestured towards the men standing behind Muhwi with a nod.

“Who are they?”

“Don’t mind them. They’re just for show.”

“Yeah, they look like it.”

One of the men flinched at the dismissive comment.

“See? They react immediately.”

“They’re still inexperienced.”

“Are they Muhwi’s trainees? You’ll need to train them well.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

The respectful tone from Muhwi caused visible discomfort among the men behind her. Muhwi then turned her attention to Cheon Ryang.

“Have you been well, Senior Brother?”

“Senior Brother? That’s ancient history.”

“You’ll always be my senior brother.”

“You’re not my junior anymore. So, just go back.”

Cheon Ryang’s response was firm. However, from the start, Muhwi’s business was with Un Hyang. She took a step closer to Un Hyang and asked.

“Will you come with us?”

“If you take one more step.”

Un Hyang gripped a pair of chopsticks in her hand.

“You know what happens, right?”

“…….”

Muhwi stopped advancing further towards Un Hyang. Her face held a smile, but an air of lethal intent emanated from her. The chopsticks in her hand might have been a simple utensil, but with Un Hyang wielding them, the situation was different.

The allowed distance was exactly up to this point. Still, it didn’t matter. She wasn’t there to exert force; as long as they could talk, it sufficed.

“I was told to deliver a message.”

There was no need to ask who sent the message. Muhwi served only one person. And if they were looking for Un Hyang, the identity was all too clear.

“He says he won’t wait long.”

“How long?”

“I don’t know the specifics. I’m sorry.”

“Muhwi.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not going back.”

Un Hyang’s answer was met with a shake of the head from Muhwi. It wasn’t something Un Hyang could decide.

“You know you can’t refuse.”

Even Un Hyang, with all her confidence, couldn’t refute this time.

Indeed.

It wasn’t just about her own whereabouts; many things would shift based on her choice. The position of the second-in-command of the great guild Murim was precisely such a role.

With nothing more to say, Un Hyang pressed her lips together, leaving Muhwi to bow her head.

“Then, we will wait.”

*

In the middle of Jinwoon’s workshop, Suhyuk sat with his upper body exposed, for over two days now. Sweat poured from his body like rain. Whenever his focus wavered, he bit down on his lip, causing blood to flow from the cracks.

He endured the pain, concentrating to ensure the procedure being etched into his body worked properly.

Buzz—

The procedure on his back by Jinwoon continued. Neither eating nor sleeping for over two days wasn’t just Suhyuk’s burden but Jinwoon’s as well.

The engraving on Suhyuk’s back, an effort spanning those lengthy hours, amounted to a small circle barely half a palm’s width.

‘It’s hot.’

Through the formation tattooed onto his back, Suhyuk felt intense heat. Whatever materials Jinwoon had used, they differed fundamentally from those in the past.

Even though he couldn’t see the image, he could still feel it deeply since it was etched into his body. The procedure was nearing its end.

As if reading his thoughts, “Time to wrap up.”

Jinwoon, who had been engraving the formation on Suhyuk’s back, wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of one hand.

Then, in the next moment,

Plop—

A small dot was placed in the center of his back, marking the completion of the procedure.

『The “Body Strengthening Procedure” has been completed.』