Chapter 32 – Skill Integration

“What star?”

I asked while looking at Jin Yuseong’s face after he emerged from contracting with a new spirit.

Just from his expression, it was hard to tell if it was bad or good.

After a brief pause, Jin Yuseong grinned and answered.

“7-Star. A spirit belonging to the Wind Constellation.”

“That’s great! Congratulations, Yuseong.”

“Thanks.”

Perhaps because he had finally obtained a 7-Star spirit that matched his talent, it seemed the pent-up emotions inside him had been considerably relieved.

“It’s thanks to you.”

“……?”

“If it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t have been able to contract with a 7-Star spirit.”

Usually, the spirit one contracts with tends to be an existence whose wavelength somewhat matches their own.

The more similarities one has with a spirit, the greater the probability of contracting with it.

That essentially means if you increase the commonalities with a specific spirit, you can somewhat specify which spirit you’ll contract with.

‘It seems the things Jin Yuseong gained while being with me greatly influenced his contract with this spirit.’

I recalled what Jin Yuseong had gained so far.

The biggest was serving the same Constellation as me.

The frequent use of Awakening Skills at a higher realm than originally possible due to adjusting the Synchronization Rate of Transcendence and Overmind.

Obtaining the Stigma 《Myriad Fire Transformations》 and the legendary equipment <Boots of Wind> and <Golden Ring>.

Among those, when I recalled the transformation ability of Myriad Fire Transformations, the movement ability of <Boots of Wind>, and the Mountain Hermit’s Third Awakening Skill, Black Shadow Clone, which Jin Yuseong fully unlocked upon reaching 2-Star, a certain spirit suddenly came to mind.

“By any chance, is the spirit you contracted this time the Taoist Monk Jeon Woochi?”

“That’s right.”

Jin Yuseong grinned and nodded.

Jeon Woochi, a Taoist monk spirit who practices Daoist Arts.

His representative abilities were famous for being Shapeshifting Art, Earth Shrinking Method, and Clone Technique.

I realized why he said he was able to contract thanks to Lee Hanseong.

“So, speaking of which, can I ask for your help in raising the Synchronization Rate with Jeon Woochi?”

“Of course.”

I connected Overmind through Empathy and raised the Synchronization Rate between the seven stars inside Jin Yuseong and Jin Yuseong himself to the limit.

Since the First Awakening Skill 《Guardian Lord Power》 and Second Awakening Skill 《Disguise Unraveling》 were already embodied as legendary skills, what would unlock were the Third Awakening Skill onward.

…10%, Third Awakening Skill 《Earth Shrinking Path》 unlocked.

…20%, Fourth Awakening Skill 《Clone Path》 unlocked.

…30%, Fifth Awakening Skill 《Soul Return Path》 unlocked.

While raising the Synchronization Rate between Jeon Woochi and Jin Yuseong, Mirinae sensed Jeon Woochi and woke up.

-An old-fashioned trained spirit, I see. To have already found a path toward [Authority] at the Demi-God level.

The moment I heard the word ‘Authority,’ knowledge about it from the Constellation flowed in.

A single ability obtained when a Quasi-God, having reached the extreme of 10-Star, weaves all their skills into one and ascends to become an 11-Star True God.

That was Authority.

Judging by the term ‘old-fashioned,’ it seemed that in ancient times, 7-Star to 9-Star were considered Demi-Gods.

10-Star was Quasi-God, and 11-Star was True God.

But what exactly about Jeon Woochi made her say it was a path toward Authority?

‘Is she referring to the yet-unlocked Sixth Awakening Skill?’

Information Mirinae grasped about Jeon Woochi’s final Awakening Skill also came to mind.

Jeon Woochi’s Sixth Awakening Skill was 《My Way is Threaded by One》.

It was an ability that threaded and unified all previous Daoist Arts into one.

Suddenly, along with the realization that unification was important for reaching a high realm, an inspiration flashed through his mind.

‘The skill integration I did when creating Overmind was ultimately a path I had to pass through later. Then….’

<Skill Engraving: Set> and <Skill Chain: Chain>.

And the Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword.

Suddenly drawing the Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword, the party members were momentarily flustered, but soon noticed through Overmind that he had entered a state of enlightenment and quietly watched.

They even cleared the surrounding people to prevent him from being disturbed by others.

With gratitude, he withdrew his attention from his surroundings and focused on the Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword.

Whoosh!

Resonating with the Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword, he recalled Awakening Skills that could be linked with <Heaven-Slaying Gang Qi>.

Duren’s Single Flash.

Utangka’s Heavenly Thunderflame.

Alter’s Law Revision.

Rough’s Causal disturbance.

Rian’s Path Revelation.

The Awakening Skills he mainly linked during the battle with Kang Min.

He wasn’t trying to engrave Awakening Skills corresponding to legendary skills onto the Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword.

After all, the Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword, which already had Heaven-Slaying Gang Qi, had no blank space for engraving.

But it was entirely possible to add connection points that would serve as links to other Awakening Skills, not the skills themselves.

Whoosh.

Transforming the tip of the starlight structure representing Heaven-Slaying Gang Qi into <Set>, he formed connection points that could be chained with other Awakening Skills via <Chain>.

[<Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword> changes to <Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword: Release>.]

[Conditions met, <Skill Engraving: Set> and <Skill Chain: Chain> are integrated.]

[Rare Skill <Skill Chain Engraving: Combo> is formed.]

The moment the Combo was formed, he intuitively realized the change in the Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword.

If he deployed the Awakening Skills engraved with connection points along with the Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword, a kind of combo bonus would arise.

The sum would be greater than when using and linking them separately.

‘This isn’t the only thing that can be integrated.’

Simultaneously, he realized that Overmind and Combo could also be unified into one.

After all, the Set and Chain that became the materials for Combo were derived from Overmind in the first place.

Merely realizing that fact was enough.

Click.

[Conditions met, <Multi Deep Synchronization: Overmind> and <Skill Chain Engraving: Combo> are integrated.]

[Unique Skill <Synergy> is formed.]

The skills Lee Hanseong obtained himself were unified into a single unique skill.

His perspective changed.

His surroundings were filled with shimmering dots.

‘This is…!’

Each dot was a connection point that could be chained and synchronized with him.

Thanks to this, he could synchronize with the outside without needing Empathy as a medium.

The party members also sensed his change, showing expressions of disbelief.

“Wow… How do you suddenly gain enlightenment in a place like this?”

“As expected, the talent of a 12-Star Vessel is different.”

“What exactly did you see to gain enlightenment?”

Lee Hanseong didn’t hide his enlightenment from the party members.

That to advance from 10-Star to 11-Star, one must unify all their skills into one.

That Jeon Woochi’s Sixth Awakening Skill, My Way is Threaded by One, was a similar ability, etc.

The eyes of the three who learned this new information sparkled.

“Oho. Integration of different types of skills. And my Jeon Woochi already has such an Awakening Skill, you say.”

“For the future, it wouldn’t be bad to integrate some skills early on. Like you did, Hanseong.”

“If it’s integration of the same type of skill, we’re already in the process.”

Integration of the same type of skill.

The three were already progressing with skill integration in a different way from Lee Hanseong.

An Awakened blooms one Awakening Skill and two skills each time they awaken.

However, in the case of Awakened who contract with high-rank spirits of 5-Star or above, they tend to re-bloom skills received from the spirit rather than blooming new skills from their own past actions.

In this case, two of the same skill exist in the body, and over time, the two skills gradually integrate into one and evolve to a higher grade.

Of course, even in an unintegrated state, the two same-type skills resonate, making the skill itself more powerful.

It’s just not enough to leap grades.

“If you want, I can help with your skill integration using my newly acquired skill. Want me to?”

“Yes!”

The three answered simultaneously.

Using Synergy, it was entirely possible.

Whoosh.

First, the two general skills the three obtained during their 1-Star Awakening were integrated into the same type.

Park Seongcheol’s general skills <Vow> and <Pulsation> became rare skills <Covenant> and <Upheaval>.

Jin Yuseong’s general skills <Danger Sense> and <Throw> became rare skills <Danger Detection> and <Flash Shadow>.

Yu Sehee’s general skills <Insomnia> and <Nursing Knowledge> became rare skills <Sleeplessness> and <Nursing Studies>.

Next, the two general skills obtained during 2-Star Awakening.

Park Seongcheol’s general skills <Swing> and <Charge> became rare skills <Single Swing> and <Accumulation>.

Jin Yuseong’s general skills <Infiltration> and <Command> became rare skills <Infiltration> and <Order>.

Yu Sehee’s general skills <Laundering> and <Hygiene Knowledge> became rare skills <Cleansing> and <Hygiene>.

And they attempted to integrate even the First Awakening Skill obtained upon reaching 2-Star, but.

“Hmm. It seems still too early to integrate Awakening Skills.”

It failed.

The Blessings of other Constellations contained in the Awakening Skills were interfering with Synergy’s intervention.

Perhaps Awakening Skills could only be integrated after reaching 7-Star and being embodied as skills.

“This much is enough. Originally, we would have had to max out proficiency for them to integrate.”

“Wanting more than this would be greed.”

As the sudden power enhancement that began with enlightenment ended like this.

We moved to the Association’s byproduct purchase office.

It was to sell the byproducts obtained from the dungeon.

* * *

“Big Rat front teeth at 120,000 won each, 297 pieces. Shadow Spider spinning appendages at 500,000 won each, 100 pieces. Total 85,640,000 won. This is the price after tax deduction, so you don’t need to pay tax separately.”

All byproducts were sold except for the 5 spinning appendages Jin Yuseong would use and the Stone Golem’s magic core Park Seongcheol set aside to make a golem.

Earning tens of millions of won from a day of hunting, but this was only possible when clearing a dungeon.

And even the money earned like this would be quickly spent just on commissioning equipment production.

As expected.

“You want left-hand gloves made from 5 Shadow Spider spinning appendages? In a way that Black shadow envoys emerge from the finger parts? Hmm. The commission fee is 10 million won.”

“Stone Golem magic core fragments. With this amount, it’s barely enough to make one complete magic core. You know combining magic core fragments has a high explosion risk, so the hazard cost is high, right? Let’s say 50 million.”

Just ordering Jin Yuseong’s gloves and Park Seongcheol’s golem cost 60 million won.

True to the artisans of the Iron Guild, who dominated the artisan district near the Association, the commission fees were not trivial.

“Whew. Money flows out like an ebb tide.”

“The remaining money is roughly 25 million. Let’s use this to rent a guild house for now.”

At the mention of a guild house, Jin Yuseong interjected.

“There’s a good place near my house. An acquaintance of my father is the owner, so we can rent it cheaply.”

At those words, thoughts about Jin Yuseong’s family background flowed.

A massive family that dominates Shade’s violent organizations while also expanding influence in the open.

Being born into such a family, he must have been able to contract with spirits like the Mountain Hermit and know about Body Reformation.

But unless one was an ordinary person, for us Awakened, his family’s connection to the Shade wasn’t a big issue.

“Alright. Then, let’s go there.”

“While we’re at it, stop by my house too. Since I told him I partied with you, my father said he wants to meet you.”

“If it’s an invitation, I won’t decline.”

And it was the same for this side that his father wanted to meet.

“My father also said he wants to meet you all once. Should we stop by the Association Head’s office first and then go?”

“Association Head Lee Hyeonseong?”

Jin Yuseong, who had spoken that far, whispered.

“Is it because of the mastermind behind Kang Min’s attack?”

“Well, that too. And since we’re forming a guild, he’s curious about our skills.”

“Hehe. The time has come to reveal our skills.”

Jin Yuseong smiled at the thought of announcing that he had become a Seven-Star Contractor.

The opinions of the other two weren’t much different.

The fact that not long after graduating from the Training Center, the entire party had completed 2-Star Awakening and even produced two Seven-Star Contractors would be sensational news.

The more this news spread, the harder it would be for Elder Choi Sangguk to target us, so hiding wasn’t the only solution.

“They say strike while the iron is hot. Let’s go right away.”

* * *

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

When Lee Hanseong knocked after stopping by the Association Head’s office, Lee Hyeonseong’s answer was heard.

“You’re here. Son.”

“Yes, Father.”

“I’ve thought about what you said this morning, and it seems good to expand the board.”

This morning, right after clearing the dungeon and returning home, Lee Hanseong had immediately informed Lee Hyeonseong about being attacked.

And that the party’s combat power had become very strong.

Lee Hanseong suggested using this news to raise Lee Hyeonseong’s standing again.

If it became known that he, who was considered growth-stalled as a 1-Star Contractor, had reached 2-Star Awakening and his party members were also rapidly growing stronger, supporters who had turned away would return.

But Lee Hyeonseong was adding another layer to that opinion.

“How about publicly releasing a video of your party sparring with me?”

A spar between the 9-Star Awakened Association Head and promising candidates would surely attract people’s attention.

And there, just showing us putting up a good fight would naturally bring popularity.

That would later lead to the expansion of the Galaxy Guild and the Constellation’s recovery.

“Sounds good.”

“Fighting against the strong is a good experience.”

The other three, perhaps realizing there was much to gain from this spar, readily accepted Lee Hyeonseong’s proposal.

Shortly after, they moved to the sparring arena deep underground in the Association.

Amidst various filming equipment, including high-speed cameras.

“Then, let’s begin.”

Whoosh!

As the Association Head’s high-rank spirits were summoned, the spar began.