Chapter 20

Ultimate Jackpot

 

Potential Power Enhancement Scroll.

It’s essentially a kind of enhancement charm that pushes a piece of equipment’s limits even further. Equipment obtained from the Abyss has its attack power, durability, and other attributes fixed by its level and grade. Once set, these attributes don’t change.

The more capable hunters who frequently challenged the Abyss often faced frustration in this regard.

‘You finally get high-grade gear, but as your level increases, the time comes when you have to replace it. That’s when everyone faces a dilemma—do you replace it or stick with it?’

An item being graded high means it has excellent unique options.

However, even if the grade is good, if the equipment level is too low, its attack power or defense will inevitably be insufficient.

When you level up, a moment comes when you have to replace your equipment, and if you haven’t found something of equal value by then, you’ll have to sacrifice something.

For example, do you switch to a weapon that matches your level for the attack power, or do you stick with your old, higher-grade weapon that’s now too low-level to maintain its unique option?

There always comes a time when you can’t have both.

‘The Potential Power Enhancement Scroll resolves that to some extent.’

The scroll was the perfect solution for this problem.

As the name suggests, it boosts the potential of equipment.

This scroll was typically applied to what hunters called endgame or graduation gear.

Naturally, obtaining it was a monumental challenge, akin to plucking a star from the sky. You had to be at least level 80 to even attempt it.

Park Chan-woo had tried to obtain this scroll in the past and had endured near-death experiences. For an entire month, he struggled without success because no amount of effort could guarantee acquiring one unless you were blessed by sheer luck.

‘The standard strategy is to save it until you’re close to level 99.’

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t tempted to hold onto it, but he shook his head.

His current level was -95.

He had gained one level after the Sniper Abyss, bringing him to this point.

If he saved the scroll until he reached level 99, there was a high chance it would end up being as useless as a scrap of paper.

‘The faster I use it, the stronger I get.’

Returning from the past, Park Chan-woo had made up his mind.

He was determined to raise humanity’s rank to at least 8th place in the Interspecies War that would begin in six months.

To do that, he needed to become stronger as quickly as possible.

There was no time to spare for hording resources for later.

The enemies he faced in the previous Interspecies War were leagues beyond humanity’s current level. To catch up, every second mattered.

Besides…

‘…If I don’t return to my original level within 500 days, I’ll die.’

Park Chan-woo was living on borrowed time due to the terminal status effect.

To escape certain death, he had to raise his level as fast as possible.

He had already climbed from -99 to -95 in just two days, so there was hope.

Park Chan-woo looked at the items laid out before him.

‘I’ll use them all today.’

The boxes, the scroll—everything.

He planned to use them all and prepare for tomorrow.

He knew what he had to do, and if he wanted the best possible outcome, he needed to be fully prepared.

Park Chan-woo’s expression grew resolute.

‘Tomorrow, I’ll meet the strongest.’

The first person in human history to reach level 99.

There was a chance he would encounter the one who masqueraded as humanity’s savior—the Avatar of the Nine Supreme Monarchs—tomorrow.

If things played out as he expected, the meeting was inevitable.

There was no room for hesitation.

“Open.”

 

 

First, he opened the two-star gold box, the one given to all survivors.

With a puff of smoke, a belt emerged.

“……”

Park Chan-woo was momentarily speechless.

Chwik Belt.

The name alone was unusual.

It was a belt wrapped in metal chains, and since Park Chan-woo had never seen one like it before, he thought it best to check the detailed description.

 

 

‘…It increases attraction to female orcs?’

He let out a sigh.

The belt had a ridiculous name, and its bulky appearance matched its absurd unique options.

Most people would see this belt as a “dud” if they obtained it.

It was enough to make one question the designer’s taste.

Frankly, even Park Chan-woo had to admit that it wasn’t a great belt.

But he knew.

He knew the belt’s true value.

‘It’s perfect for diverting aggro from orcs.’

It was a piece of gear specialized in aggro management, specifically when dealing with orcs.

For that alone, it was a high-tier item.

Especially since it allowed the user to speak the orc language, which had its own significance.

Given his current situation with no better belt, equipping it immediately wouldn’t be the worst idea.

Defense was still an important factor, after all.

‘At least my luck didn’t activate.’

He felt satisfied.

It would have been disappointing if his luck had triggered on opening the gold box, given that no amount of luck could overcome the inherent limitations of a gold box.

Most importantly, there were no duplicates.

So far, none of the items he had obtained had duplicated the gear he was already wearing.

A stroke of luck, indeed.

Park Chan-woo took a deep breath.

There was only one box left.

He was ready to push through and see it to the end.

“Open.”

 

 

Brrrrr!

The box trembled and emitted a bright light.

Park Chan-woo cautiously brought his hands together.

How long had it been since he last prayed?

Even if luck came to him now, he felt he could genuinely celebrate.

Finally…

 

 

“…Ohh!”

Park Chan-woo exclaimed…

Then paused and tilted his head to the side, sensing that something was off.

He furrowed his brow and rubbed his nose.

‘It’s not the Frostbite Helm, it’s the Frosted Helm…?’

Wait a minute.

Not the Frostbite Helm, but the Frosted Helm?

‘…Does that mean it’s been stolen?’

In short, the name implied it was a helm that had been stolen by someone.

“What kind of…?”

…What kind of ridiculous name was this?

It felt like he had fallen from heaven to hell in an instant.

He had been excited, thinking it was the helm of Frostbite, the Death Lord who ruled winter.

It even looked similar—except for the bluish color and the six horn decorations, resembling a despairing skull.

Just looking at it gave off an overwhelming sense of dread.

His old Demonic Helm suddenly felt like a baby’s toy in comparison.

But still, a frosted helm?

This was absurd.

Didn’t this mean that what came out of the three-star platinum box was stolen goods?

‘At least it’s legendary grade.’

The highest grade you could get from a platinum box was legendary.

Even with a disappointing name, it was still worth checking its unique options, given its grade.

Park Chan-woo carefully inspected the helm, hoping for something good.

 

 

“…!”

Park Chan-woo’s eyes trembled.

Honestly, he had already half given up, but he never imagined the helm would have such hidden potential.

Though it wasn’t eternal grade, its unique options were comparable to that of an eternal item, especially for a mage.

‘Magic crit!’

Magic crit refers to the chance for critical hits in magic.

It was the dream option for all mages.

Every mage longed for it, driving them to endlessly open boxes in hopes of finding it.

It was rumored to only appear in ancient-grade items or higher, with a drop rate of less than 0.1%.

And that wasn’t all.

It increased his magic proficiency, enhanced magic crit, and boosted his overall magic power.

None of the unique options were useless.

‘Jackpot.’

He had hit the jackpot.

What did the name matter?

The only thing that mattered was whether it had practical value or not.

‘Even if I lose the Demonic Set bonus, this helm more than makes up for it.’

Wearing the Frosted Helm meant he would have to discard the Demonic Helm he had obtained during the first night of the Abyss.

That would mean losing the set bonuses of Presence and Intelligence +1.

But it didn’t bother him in the slightest.

This single helm was worth more than having the entire demonic set.

And it wasn’t like he’d just throw it away—he could use the Demonic Helm as a sacrifice.

‘Now, the only thing left is the Potential Power Enhancement Scroll.’

It was the last task for today.

Deciding which equipment to use the scroll on was the biggest question.

‘It’s either the World Tree Staff or the Frosted Helm. It has to be one of the two.’

He rubbed his forehead, deep in thought.

Both pieces had top-tier unique options, enough to be called endgame items.

The level of enhancement and other options were top-notch as well.

‘When I eventually outgrow them, which will be replaced first?’

Eventually, the time would come when he’d have to swap both out.

Even with their high grade, their level was too low.

A time would come when he’d need even one point of attack or defense more than before.

There would be enemies that nullified all attacks below a certain power threshold, and others that forced unavoidable hits.

…He had to apply the scroll to the piece of equipment he would replace the latest.

After pondering for a long time, Park Chan-woo made up his mind.

In truth, the outcome was already decided from the start.

He placed the Potential Power Enhancement Scroll on top of the World Tree Staff.

 

 

Clench!

In that moment, Park Chan-woo unconsciously clenched his fist.

Thanks to his level up from the Sniper Abyss, the Easter Egg’s luck had triggered.

It was the best possible outcome, the most favorable of all situations.

‘It’s not over yet.’

However, it was too soon to relax.

There were still grades and types of potential abilities.

The chances of everything being top-tier were incredibly slim.

Even with the Easter Egg’s luck in play.

Park Chan-woo widened his eyes, fully focused.

And then—

 

 

He hit the ultimate jackpot.