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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 143: The First SSS-Rank Skill (1)
[Are you announcing it today?]
[I originally planned to wait a bit longer, but you're quite the hot topic online right now. I intend to take advantage of this opportunity.]
So, they’re planning to row while the tide is high, huh?
[Heaven and Asgard have decided to announce the results of their investigation into the two divine realms and Zeus’ Lightning. I’ve arranged for my name to be included in the announcement. Isn’t there some way to leverage this?]
I deliberately left out the fact that Athena had given me the information.
There was a brief silence from the Apostle’s message.
After a few minutes, I received a reply.
[There will undoubtedly be significant controversy and backlash if we announce that a human in the 21st century has become a god. However, if Christianity—the most powerful faction—and Asgard publicly support you, the controversy could shift in a positive direction.]
Kang Shia suggested proceeding as planned.
[If we follow the original schedule and then reveal the investigation results afterward, it will create a second wave of buzz, maximizing the positive effect.]
If they announce that a human has become a god, there will be heated debates.
People will fight like crazy online—some claiming it’s a hoax, others arguing it’s true.
The question of whether it’s real or fake will dominate the conversation.
And if both divine realms mention me during the chaos?
The controversy will tilt in my favor.
Since those two divine factions currently hold the most influence on Earth, public opinion will be more inclined to see me positively.
[Alright. Let’s stick to the original plan and use the investigation results to amplify the synergy.]
[Understood.]
Good.
Now, it’s time to make a move.
To inflate the profit from Soul Mediation.
[Alright. Let’s go all in. Let’s stir up some controversy and sell it for all it’s worth.]
[Yes, understood. Thank you for giving me the authority to handle this as your Apostle. I’ll do my utmost to ensure the best outcome.]
She used to run Daehyun Guild, one of Korea's top guilds, so she should handle this well.
[By the way, would you be open to doing interviews later?]
[Interviews?]
[Yes. If you publicly demonstrate your divine abilities, it could serve as a powerful incentive to attract more people.]
Huh...
They’re pulling out all the stops to recruit a thousand Apostles.
Since I’ve entrusted the promotion to her, I might as well leave it entirely in her hands.
[Alright. Just let me know when you need me. If it’s necessary to recruit a thousand C-rank or higher hunters, I’ll do the interview.]
[Thank you. I’ll proceed with the announcement now. Please watch if you have time—I’ll be posting it on the high-level forum.]
Following her message, I pulled out my phone and logged into HunterNet.
The site was cluttered with various menus and sections.
I navigated to the C-rank forum and tried to access it…
[You do not have permission to enter this forum.]
Huh?
Even though I could access the other forums just fine?
Annoyed, I checked the site’s details and realized I was still listed as a basic-tier user.
To access the C-rank forum, I needed to upgrade my rank.
“The upgrade requirements are…”
[To upgrade your rank, you must provide proof of clearing the ‘Eshtar’s C-rank Dungeon.’]
For crying out loud.
I’ve cleared A-rank dungeons countless times, but I’ve never bothered with a C-rank dungeon.
And how the hell am I supposed to provide proof?
Frustrated, I sent out an SOS message.
[I can’t access the forum because my rank is too low.]
[Oh, really? I’ll take a screenshot of the post and send it to you.]
Soon after, I received a photo of the forum post.
‘An Awakened Becomes a God.’
That was the title of the first post.
It provided a rough profile of me.
It described how, before the apocalypse, I was the only B-rank awakened, hailed as humanity's last hope.
However, when the world was reset, all records and memories of me were erased.
It went on to explain that, following the world’s collapse, I relentlessly trained and reached the dream-like rank of S as a human.
The post also mentioned that during the Zeus’ Lightning incident, I had traveled across Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia, wiping out dungeons.
In the current era, where the highest-ranked awakened were only B-rank, the story sounded like pure fiction.
However, the last part of the post stated that both Daehyun Guild and Asgard were vouching for the authenticity of the information.
It had the air of an official document.
There were two additional posts.
The second post explained the concept of SP in broad terms, emphasizing that it became the most critical stat for B-rank and higher hunters.
The third post was a recruitment notice for Apostles, detailing the benefits of becoming one.
It specifically highlighted the SP perks, which were still poorly understood by most hunters.
Even though the second post explained SP, it was questionable whether it would convince the C-rank hunters.
After reviewing the posts, I messaged Kang Shia.
[How’s the response?]
[The C-rank forum doesn’t have many users, so there hasn’t been much reaction yet. I plan to collaborate with foreign hunter associations to post the message there as well. But that will have to wait until Heaven and Asgard make their official announcements.]
[Got it. I’ll be patient.]
Even though there were more C-rank hunters than before, they were still considered top-tier among hunters.
And with the chaos caused by Zeus’ Lightning, not many people seemed to have seen the post yet.
I decided to wait until the buzz built up.
A Few Days Later – Bongeunsa Temple
As promised, I came to receive a skill from Asura.
“There’s been some buzz about me, but…”
Despite the forum posts being up for several days, there hadn't been a surge in Apostle applications.
According to Kang Shia, most C-rank hunters were skeptical and in a wait-and-see mode.
[C-rank hunters are treated like royalty wherever they go, so they won’t rush into becoming an Apostle without certainty.]
She had expected this outcome.
She predicted that once Heaven and Asgard made their announcements, only then would the hunters finally move.
The topic had already become a hot issue online.
Even though the post was only on the C-rank forum, the news was spreading quickly.
Since I had eradicated Zeus’ Lightning, my face was becoming increasingly recognizable, fueling debates over whether I was genuinely a god or a fraud.
Multiple media outlets had contacted Daehyun Guild for interviews, but they were on hold until the divine factions made their announcements.
Once the investigation results were out, they would time their interviews accordingly.
There was no need to rush.
[I'm here.]
As I stood idly at the entrance of Bongeunsa Temple, a message arrived.
Asura’s main body was massive, so I figured he would be in human form.
But my assumption was completely wrong.
“It’s been a while, Kim Jiho.”
Standing at the temple entrance was Asura in his enormous soul form.
With his three crimson faces and six arms, he still looked as terrifying as ever—like a wrathful demon god.
Since he was in soul form, he passed right through the temple gates.
“Kyaaaah!”
“W-what the…? A monster!”
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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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“Run!”
The people around Bongeunsa Temple scattered in a panic at the sight of Asura.
He looked like a herald of hell itself.
However, while many fled in terror, some people instead cheered.
“Wow! It’s Asura from TV!”
“Wow, he really looks like that?”
“He's scary, man. I was going to ask for an autograph when I saw him on TV, but...”
“I don’t think I can get close.”
The people, too intimidated to approach, instead pulled out their phones and started snapping photos in unison.
Asura tilted his head slightly at the sight of them, then turned and walked toward me.
“Whenever I descend to Earth, people always point those objects at me.”
“Well, you’re pretty famous because of all the ads.”
“Haha. Is that so? Being famous as a god is a good thing.”
Asura chuckled heartily and plopped down in front of me.
Even sitting, he was still far larger than me.
“I’ve been thinking about what skill to give you.”
“Yes. Do you have any combat skills of S-rank or higher?”
“Of course. I have plenty of skills to spare. At first, I was going to give you a decent one, but… considering you saved my life, it wouldn’t be right to repay you so lightly.”
Oh-ho.
Now this is a true god.
I’d gotten used to dealing with slippery, conniving deities, but to have one this straightforward and magnanimous—it was almost refreshing.
“So, I’ve decided to give you my most treasured skill. I used a significant amount of SP for it. The others tried to stop me… but I, Asura, always repay my debts of life.”
“Thank you so much. What kind of skill is it?”
“It’s an SSS-rank skill.”
SSS-rank?
My eyes widened.
I didn’t have a single SSS-rank skill yet.
My soul-based abilities were rare and powerful enough to qualify for SSS-rank, but since they didn’t have formal grades, they weren’t classified.
Among my graded skills, Avatar Exchange was the highest at SS-rank.
But now, an SSS-rank skill—and a combat skill at that?
Wow… truly, God-sura indeed.
“Do you know how SSS-rank skills are transmitted?”
“No, this is my first time with one.”
“SSS-rank skills are symbols of a deity. You can’t just learn them by receiving them. If you were my apostle, it would be possible, but since you’re a separate god, you’ll need to follow a certain process.”
Wait, I can’t just learn it right away?
“Normally, you’d have to master a fundamental skill of mine first and then synchronize your soul wavelength with mine…”
Suddenly, Asura moved his hands.
All five of his arms simultaneously grabbed his upper leftmost arm and yanked it.
For a moment, his face twisted in pain.
Zzzzt…!
Pluck!
His arm was torn off completely.
Since he was in his soul form, no blood spurted out, but it was still a grotesque sight.
His massive arm, larger than my entire body, fell to the ground before me.
“Take it.”
“No, wait… this is too much…”
“When will you ever have time to learn my other skills and sync your soul wavelength with mine? You have far greater things to accomplish. I must do everything I can for you.”
“But this is part of your soul body, isn’t it? I can feel an immense amount of divine energy from it. This isn’t just an avatar, is it…?”
“I brought part of my true form’s spirit into this arm. Haha. It’ll take me about a month to recover.”
He looked nothing like the god I first met—frantically begging for his life.
Now, he seemed divine—almost radiant with a halo behind him.
Incredible.
He was… incredible.
He was willing to tear off his own arm for me…!
With trembling hands, I reached out and touched Asura’s severed arm.
A message appeared.
[Would you like to absorb the soul body of the deity, ‘Asura’?]
[This is a refined spirit body designed to enhance absorption efficiency. Absorption rate will increase.]
[The Soul Reaper skill activates, boosting absorption efficiency.]
Oh.
Nice.
I pressed Yes, and Asura’s arm disappeared as it was absorbed into me.
[You have absorbed the soul body of ‘Asura’.]
[Divine Power +100.]
[You have absorbed an incomplete soul body of Asura. It will gradually regenerate over time, increasing your divine power. The maximum increase is +300.]
Oh.
A bonus effect.
I currently had around 4,000 divine power, so gaining 100 instantly with the potential for 300 growth was a huge advantage.
[You have mastered Asura’s soul patterns.]
[You are a god of the souls. All patterns are already inherent. No further pattern absorption is necessary.]
Huh…?
So, because I’m a soul god, I don’t even need to sync my soul wavelength?
Asura stared solemnly at his missing arm.
There was a deep, meaningful expression in his eyes as he gazed at the void where his limb had once been.
Asura… You probably didn’t need to tear off your arm to give me the skill, did you?
…But this was definitely not the time to say that.
I’ll just consider it a bonus—an extra gift along with the skill.
I could always repay him later.
“I’ve absorbed it properly. Thank you so much.”
Hearing my words, Asura, still staring at his missing arm, slowly nodded.
“Good. That’s a relief. Now, I’ll transmit my skill to you. With our soul wavelengths aligned, you should be able to obtain it without issue.”
Asura—the god who selflessly tore off his own arm—was about to pass on his treasured skill.
My heart pounded with anticipation.
“Take it.”
[You have acquired the skill: Three Heads and Six Arms – Asura’s Path.]
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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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