147. The Former and the Latter

A skill beyond ranking that was called Eternal Rest.

The requirements to learn this skill that I found out using the Eye of Insight was insane.

The 4 stats that humans received after becoming Awakened were strength, mana, dexterity, and stamina.

The requirement was that one had to have 10,000 worth of points in each stat.

5 points of stats were given freely to spend per level.

This meant that in order to achieve the 40,000 total points required, you'd have to be at least level 8,000.

And on top of that, the points required were separate from the points you'd obtain from artifacts.

An example would be an armor that I wanted to wear that required 500 points worth of strength.

Let's say I had 200 points of strength and 300 points worth of strength from gear.

Even though the stat window will say that I have 500 points of strength, I still wouldn't be able to wear the armor.

It would be determined that I would still be lacking 300 points worth of strength to wear it.

The requirements could only be fulfilled through one's own stat gains rather than through a combination of personal growth and gear.

Through the Butcher's Sword, I had absorbed the stats of the Awakened of the radical faction.

Due to that, I was able to meet the requirements needed to obtain this skill.

Thankfully the stats obtained through the sword didn't stay on the sword itself.

Unlike Jong Ho's Blood l.u.s.t 1 armor, the stats I've obtained through the sword were directly absorbed by its user.

This meant that even if I threw away the Butcher's Sword, the stats that I had gained from using it would remain with me.

Was there anyone who had the requirements for this skill other than I?

It made me wonder just was the motive behind the person who made such a skill requirement.

Without a moment of hesitation, I learned the skill.

After that, I opened the status window and looked at what the skill description was.

-Eternal Rest-

*Cla.s.s: ?

*Rank: ?

*Completely annihilates the selected target.

*Skill can be only used once.

*Consumes 99% of the user's total health and mana.

*Can only be used when the caster's health and mana are at 100%.

"Hm…  As expected, it's a skill that I can use against Belkoseu, but……."

I was more than satisfied with the part of the description that said that the target would be completely annihilated.

However, the other parts of the description weren't something I was exactly thrilled about.

Firstly, I thought about the part where it said that it was a one time use skill.

It wasn't exactly a consumable artifact, and to think I can only use this skill once.

It was a unique skill that I've never encountered before.

If this description was true, then one of the five skills beyond ranking slot had been used up, but the skill wouldn't remain after I used it.

It was quite the loss.

Next, I did not like the cost of 99% of my health and mana to use this skill.

Due to my infinite mana pool, the cost of mana wasn't going to be an issue, but it was a different story with my health pool.

With the 99% health cost, I would be barely alive, considering that I would only have 1% of my health left.

This meant that after I used this skill, I could be done in by any monster.

This also meant that I had to have perfect awareness of my surroundings and only use this skill in a 1v1 with Belkoseu.

"If there are negatives, so will there be positives."

The benefits to learning Eternal Rest were great as well.

The biggest benefit was that I had a way to take down Belkoseu.

A method to take down someone that I had originally thought was immortal had appeared before me.

It was true that I could not hide my anxiety and worry while I kept my alliance with him.

After all, I was helping a potentially more dangerous enemy to take down the Demon King and Ladin.

However,  the positions had swapped and now I had gained the upper hand.

Naturally, Belkoseu now took the disadvantageous position that I had before.

The plan was to use him to benefit myself as much as I could, and then get rid of him afterwards, since he could have other plans rather than keeping his word with me.

There was no way that he knew I had obtained such a skill.

Well, for someone like him who has no information on the Awakened, it would be strange if he knew anything in the first place.

I couldn't confirm the level of the skill or what the effect looked like in detail, but I felt rea.s.sured.

I didn't bask for long in the first time I felt satisfied in the demonic realm.

I heard a sound from nearby.

"You're here?"

I saw Jong Ho running towards me from afar.

In his arms was Karin, the stocky goblin.

Since Jong Ho did not have any recovery skills, he was panting quite heavily.

That was to be expected, since he had ran quite the distance without rest.

Like a marathon runner who had just pa.s.sed the goal, Jong Ho laid down in front of me from exhaustion.

Casting Mega Cure on him, I spoke.

"You've done well, hyung-nim. The distance is quite far, right?"

"Kuhhuh…. I….. Kuhhuh…. Said…. Kuhhuh….."

"Huh?"

"We should've…. Kehhelel! Ran…….."

"What are you saying? Catching your breath first and then say it again."

"Haah…… Haah….."

"Keruruk. He said that we should've just ran."

"Karin, you're doing a lot of work for us. Now you're even translating for us. Then tell him for me. Tell him that if I just listen to him, then I'm not really his dongsaeng."

"Keruk. Keruk. I understand."

"Wew…… No need! I can't live in peace because of you."

"But what shall I ever do….. I obtained something amazing enough to reduce your worries."

"Did you even take down the Kelvecore? I don't think it's defensive capability is anything to joke about."

"Of course. I took it down at quite the critical moment."

"Then you took the Warp safely while Belkoseu held the two back?"

"That's not what happened."

"Whew…. I just calmed down now, but it feels like my blood pressure is rising up again. Stop joking around and tell me."

"The moment that Kelvecore's loot dropped, the Demon King appeared. Just like you told me before, he appeared without warning."

"So?"

"I immediately focused on escaping, since I knew that I couldn't take him down."

"Unlike yourself, you made the right choice. So you made it out ok?"

"He didn't just let me go so easily. I took a hit."

"…. Did it hurt?"

"Couldn't help but swear, you know? Everything except my Mana s.h.i.+eld went out in a single hit. From a simple attack, no less."

"As expected, he's quite the opponent."

"I finally understood how you couldn't even struggle against him before being done in."

"Well, at least it doesn't seem like your were severely injured. Enough of that. What did you obtain?"

"A skill book."

"Oho….. Something like Archangel's Fall?"

"Well, it's a skill beyond ranking."

"A skill beyond ranking dropped? I guess there was a reason behind why you would risk your life obtaining it."

"Yes. It's a skill that could take down Belkoseu at that."

"What?"

Jong Ho was so surprised that he couldn't help but cover his mouth shyly and back up.

It was a reaction that I've never seen before.

Jong Ho, who had been only blinking his eyes from the surprise, finally recovered enough to ask.

"How so? In what way can Belkoseu be killed?"

"Kerut. Min-Cheol, is that the truth?"

"And it doesn't make much effort on my part, but instead through a simple method."

"Keruu…. Belkoseu, who couldn't be killed even by the Demon King….."

"What is it? How is it possible?"

"It's due to a skill called Eternal Rest. The description says that it's a skill that can completely annihilate a target completely."

"That's insane….. If what you're saying is true, then we have removed a ma.s.sive burden on our shoulders to worry about."

"Humans make up lies. Skill books and the Eye of Insight do not lie."

"Keruruk. Even monsters sometimes make up lies….."

"Have you tricked me so far?"

"Kehk? I have not! Karin does not break promises. I do not lie."

"Pfft. Right. The only one I can trust in is you."

"Min-Cheol. So this means that we found our solution?"

"Yes, that's right. Now our growth doesn't matter that much anymore."

"Focusing only on making Belkoseu stronger, we use him as a tool to kill the Demon King and Ladin. Then……"

"Do you know a term called tosagupaeng?"