The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2

Chapter 636:

[You have acquired the Light Power 'Observation'.]

Flash…!

Seong Jihan's eyes flickered, emitting a gentle white glow.

This light was soon enveloped by a blue aura and then faded away into his eyes.

‘It’s indeed crucial to know where the powers manifest.’

Seong Jihan reassigned the Blue stat from his right hand, where Device Proficiency manifested, to his eyes, to avoid being categorised as a' Normal' person with two or more characteristics.

After confirming he was still recognized as an ‘Isolate’ without any issues, he checked his status.

‘So my White Light has stopped at 1500.'

The light orbs had increased his White Light by 100 each, but it appeared 1500 was the limit.

‘There’s nothing special after acquiring Observation.’

Unlike before, no special messages appeared, only over ten opportunities to expand his powers remained.

‘I should do it once I enter the server.’

While he knew Observation would manifest in both eyes and had prepared to block it before acquiring it, Time Reversal was different since he didn’t know where it manifested in the body, risking being categorized as a ‘Normal’ individual.

It was better to expand powers within the server to avoid being absorbed by the Transcendent.

Seong Jihan thought about this as he touched his eyes.

‘I want to try the power of Observation, but... with the power overlapping in the left eye, it's ambiguous.’

Using Observation required him to open the Blue in both eyes, but that would also unlock the ‘Tower Manifestation’ in his left eye, immediately marking him for the Transcendent.

‘I can’t use the Ark Overseer's position until I solve this issue…’

He considered if using Observation with just his right eye was possible and decided he needed to research this once he was in the server.

Beep.

When he pressed the button on the server access device,

[Would you like to finish the emergency maintenance and reconnect to Server 4212?]

[Please select the time point to connect to.]

[You can roll back the server to one day prior to the emergency maintenance start.]

A message appeared asking about a server rollback.

'Of course, I should.'

Seong Jihan had entered Ark earlier than planned due to Id’s avatar self-destructing and charging at Urd.

‘Now that I think of it… Id gave a special emergency command to his avatar. Could it really work?’

Seong Jihan remembered the emergency command he’d heard from Id when reentering Ark.

-Say 'PleaseTwoTraitsPlease' as it is.

Emphasizing to say it with the word 'Please' at the beginning and end might be important, he thought, recalling Id's serious tone.

‘If it doesn’t work, I’ll have to find an alternative method.’

With this thought, Seong Jihan rolled back the server by one day.

Then,

[Rolling back Server 4212.]

[You are an Isolate with ‘Device Proficiency’. The light power consumed for rollback is reduced by half.]

[50 of the White Light stat is consumed.]

Because Device Proficiency was activated at the last moment, the light power required for a server rollback was halved.

‘I should always activate this when handling machinery.’

As Seong Jihan once again appreciated the usefulness of Device Proficiency, the same message as before appeared from the server access device.

[The player is attempting to connect. Avatar connection is recommended.]

[Player's avatar is not registered. Would you like to access the central server to form an avatar?]

"I'm going as my main body."

Registering an avatar in the central server had no benefits.

Firmly determined to go as his main body, Seong Jihan refused to create an avatar.

Then,

[Connecting the main body to Server 4212...]

As the final message appeared,

Vroooom...!

The server management device emitted a flash of light, and Seong Jihan's body gradually vanished.

And shortly thereafter,

"I’m back."

He returned to the place where the server management device was stored — the top floor of the Tower of Marital Gods.

‘Let’s first organize what I gained from Ark this time.’

Due to Id’s avatar going berserk, Seong Jihan’s second entry into Ark was earlier than scheduled. Nonetheless, the gains he made here far exceeded those of his first entry.

‘The White Light stat dropped to 1450 after consuming 50….’

His White Light stat, which had stopped growing at 1500, dropped to 1450 after consuming 50 during the server rollback.

Considering his White Light was at 297 when he reentered Ark, the stat skyrocketed several times.

‘And I still have 11 opportunities to claim Light Powers.’

With 11 chances, even if the success rate for Time Reversal was in the 40% range, he believed he would succeed at least once.

Seong Jihan thought this as he reviewed the Light Powers he currently possessed.

‘Observation and Tower Manifestation, Device Proficiency… among these, Device Proficiency was supposed to be done in one shot.’

He’d heard that if you failed in investing traits in Time Reversal, the existing traits would be enhanced, so Observation or Tower Manifestation would be enhanced.

‘The usefulness of Tower Manifestation has been proven, whereas Observation's utility hasn’t been verified yet, but…’

Worrying about what would get enhanced upon failure was pointless because it wasn’t something he had control over.

‘In any case, let’s try Time Reversal.’

Determining to use his 11 chances, Seong Jihan opened the power expansion category to check the success rate for Time Reversal.

[‘Time Reversal’ - Success Rate 44%]

‘It's up by another 1%?’

Perhaps due to the server rollback, the success rate had increased by an additional 1%.

With a 44% success rate, failing after investing all 11 chances seemed unlikely.

He then proceeded with the power expansion earnestly.

Flash...!

[Power expansion failed. Existing power ‘Observation’ is enhanced.]

[Power expansion failed. Existing power ‘Tower Manifestation’ is enhanced.]

Both powers were enhanced once each, and then, after successive failures four more times, Observation and Tower Manifestation were enhanced twice more each.

‘Is it really 44%? How can it fail six times?’

And finally, on the seventh attempt,

[You have acquired the Light Power, ‘Time Reversal’.]

The success message for acquiring Time Reversal appeared along with a flash…

Light subtly leaked from his neck.

‘So the light of Time Reversal manifests at the neck.’

Thus, this was Urd's weakness.

Smoothly… He touched his neck.

‘It seems like the light manifests over the entire neck area, not just a specific point…’

To eliminate Urd, he’d have to obliterate the neck entirely.

Having grasped how to eliminate his foe, he reopened the power expansion category.

Thereafter,

[‘Protection’ - Success Rate 73%]

Protection was the only power left to expand.

‘Protection isn’t particularly useful right now.’

While Id's ability itself was useful, he was in a cooperative relationship now, so obtaining another power seemed preferable.

Especially,

‘I’d prefer something with a lower probability.’

Failing with a lower probability trait might lead to reinforcing Time Reversal instead.

Even though he had acquired Time Reversal, it seemed weak for now, or maybe that was why he couldn’t figure out how to use it.

The trait apparently needed some enhancement to understand its use.

Contemplating what other powers besides Protection might be obtainable,

‘Oh, right... there was that.’

He recalled when his White Light reached 100.

When Dongbang Sak was manifested in the Tower, and he learned he was a bound entity,

‘Conveniently, the White Light stat reached 100 then.’

When Dongbang Sak emitted light upon reaching 100 White Light, Seong Jihan realized using the light’s power could extract him from the Tower.

Of course,

This was merely his opinion, but it might be better for him to become of the light clan than for him to go out.

Dongbang Sak had declined, stating the light clan was his priority, when Seong Jihan made the offer.

‘Now that I think about it, that might have been a form of power.’

A light power that grants an opportunity for expansion every time it reaches 100.

Perhaps the act of freeing Dongbang Sak was another form of power.

‘That might be better than Protection.’

Deciding that releasing Dongbang Sak from the Tower would be more valuable than Id's Protection, Seong Jihan headed to where Dongbang Sak resided in the Tower’s top floor.

And there...

"...Ah, you're back?"

Dongbang Sak was stroking his beard absentmindedly.

Once he slowly noticed Seong Jihan, he gradually turned to him.

He seemed somewhat out of sorts, prompting Seong Jihan to speak up.

“By the way, do you remember the events in Ark?”

Since the server had rolled back by one day, he asked, curious if Dongbang Sak remembered.

Dongbang Sak slowly nodded.

“You mean meeting the Infinite Sword? Yes, I remember.”

“How was it?”

“Seeing it in person certainly was better.”

Sssss… Just then, a Taiji emblem appeared behind Dongbang Sak.

When he placed his hand within it, the blade of a Taiji Sword, severed in half, emerged.

At a glance, it looked as though the sword had been cut in half, but...

‘No way, has he already half-replicated the Infinite Sword?’

It was actually that the front part of the sword became transparent, resembling the Infinite Sword.

Even if it was a level he had once reached, his growth speed was astonishingly fast.

Marveling at the Taiji Sword, Seong Jihan then noticed Dongbang Sak's downcast expression and asked curiously,

“However, you don’t seem well. Is something troubling you?”

“…Confronting the sword brought back more memories from Server 2101.”

“Memories from the server?”

“Yes. In the earlier memories I recalled, ‘family’ was absent…”

Swish.

As Dongbang Sak moved his hand, the Taiji Sword was reabsorbed into the Taiji emblem.

“I mentioned before that I was an emperor of the Murim Empire, leading an immortal life?”

“You did.”

“Though I lived alone for such a long time… The Imperial Family using the Dong surname was quite numerous.”

The Imperial Family with the Dong surname.

Considering the end of Server 2101, they all must have perished too.

‘...I can see why his emotions would be complicated.’

Remembering families only upon facing the Infinite Sword is understandable why a person might appear as though their soul has left them.

“I didn’t realize that was the case. I’ll return later then.”

“…No, it’s something I have to overcome. Our cause is more important right now. So, why have you come to see me?”

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m really alright, so go on.”

As he insisted, he was truly fine, urging him to speak, Seong Jihan conveyed what he had just thought of.

“Yes… I also recall those events. You chose not to leave here to become of the light clan, right?”

“Indeed. But now that I know how to become an ‘Isolate,’ I believe I can acquire the power I didn’t get back then.”

“Hmm… But if I leave here, wouldn't I also be free from being summoned from the Tower? Then you couldn’t use me in Ark.”

“Ah… that’s true.”

Nodding at the consideration, Seong Jihan listened as Dongbang Sak continued.

“Then acquire the power and don’t take me out until everything is over. Especially since not using the power isn’t that significant, right?”

“Hmm… That’s true. I’ll try once then.”

“Alright.”

Seong Jihan observed Dongbang Sak intently.

Dongbang Sak emitted no light on ordinary occasions and appeared as his usual self.

‘Hmm… How do I bring him out?’

As he pondered this,

Flash...

His body began to glimmer faintly with light.

Merely thinking about bringing him out seemed to unveil a clue about power expansion.

‘Alright, then…’

As Seong Jihan grasped the light emanating from Dongbang Sak,

Buzz...

A message window appeared before him.

[Light Power, 'Manifestation' recognized.]

So bringing Dongbang Sak out was 'Manifestation,' huh.

‘That was easier to acquire than expected.’

Feeling somewhat satisfied, Seong Jihan opened the power expansion category.

There,

[‘Manifestation’ - Success Rate 0%]

Manifestation’s success rate was listed as 0%.