Chapter 509 Solo Leveling

For now, I dropped off Kansai Neko near the beastman apartment and returned to the mansion.

The biggest purpose of coming to this world was to obtain Tokineko’s time manipulation ability.

But honestly, I also didn’t know when this girl would appear.

Since she goes across various space-times, I had no choice but to just wait until she appears.

Still, considering the development of the original, I expected she would definitely appear next year.

So until then, I was taking care of beastmen in various ways so they could make a living while waiting, but it was a bit too much to be stuck only here.

If it’s ability related to time, I could also obtain it in the Marvel worldview.

This worldview was plan B in case I couldn’t obtain abilities from Marvel.

‘Well, there’s no need to rush.’

Thinking like that, I decided to proceed with the work here slowly, and ended the life of play to move to another worldview.

[Ending Chainsmoker Cat worldview.]

[Penpen Neko Affinity Level 9]

[Kansai Neko Affinity Level 9]

[Yakuneko Affinity Level 7]

[Yanineko Affinity Level 6]

[Aruneeko Affinity Level 6]

[Rani Affinity Level 6]

[Ochinpo Tatsuro Affinity Level 5]

[Hameneeko Affinity Level 5]

[Tanaga Affinity Level 5]

[Yamada Affinity Level 5]

[Inoue Affinity Level 5]

[Otani Ouya Affinity Level 4]

[Mizuna Affinity Level 4]

[Zikakineko Affinity Level 4]

[Imoko Affinity Level 3]

[Shizue Affinity Level 2]

[Shunran Affinity Level 2]

[…]

[…]

[Catherine Affinity Level 1]

[You have obtained 23692 points as Chainsmoker Cat progress reward.]

“Heh… Did Catherine have a soul?”

Catherine is just the landlord’s attachment love doll, but affinity level was created.

It was a phenomenon I couldn’t understand.

Whether it’s because the landlord treats her as a real person, or just flowed in from somewhere else and settled, I couldn’t tell at all.

‘I should look into this next time.’

For now, since my points did not exceed 50,000, I will do gacha next time and immediately proceed with life of play.

This time I was going to go to the ‘Solo Leveling’ worldview.

It feels like homesickness because I’ve been active in foreign countries or fantasy too much?

Moreover, there is also an ability I want to obtain in this worldview.

I already had Sung Jinwoo’s Shadow Monarch ability, so I didn’t have much interest, and what I’m keeping an eye on is Kandiaru, that is, the Architect’s ‘System Design’ ability.

If I get only this ability, I think I can play with a quite interesting concept.

It will also be helpful in various ways to nurture disciples.

Moreover, if I keep strengthening the ability, someday it might develop into ‘World’s System Design’ ability.

It literally means being able to design the rules of the world itself.

Of course, it’s only a possibility, but it was quite interesting just thinking about it.

But there was a problem.

If I wanted, I wanted to go directly to Kandiaru when he first appeared and steal his ability, but if I do that, Sung Jinwoo won’t awaken as Shadow Monarch.

Then later, when beings from outer universe invade, I have to step forward and stop them directly, or I might just watch Earth perish.

Either way, it was quite annoying.

So it seems best to aim for the ability in the second Cartanon Temple arc after Sung Jinwoo has sufficiently awakened.

By then, Sung Jinwoo will be able to do his part, so he will handle various annoying things on his own according to original fate.

[Avatar is being created.]

Sung Jinwoo

Age: 24 years old

Gender: Male

Characteristic: Originally had a fairly soft and delicate personality, but after experiencing many things, he changed to a fairly cold personality. However, since he has a kind personality innately, he tends to treat generally kindly except for villains or people who are rude to him, and cherishes people around him very much.

Starting point: Original starting point

Cha Hae-in

Age: 23 years old

Gender: Female

Characteristic: Outstanding appearance and has a cool city girl personality, but her nature is kind, so she never ignores others even if her hunter rank is high. She senses mana much more sensitively than other hunters, but because that mana is perceived as a stench, she doesn’t really welcome hunters coming around.

Starting point: Original starting point

Go Directly

Setting: 20 years old A-rank hunter.

Starting point: Original starting point.

Of course, this time too, I chose Go Directly and started to fix the setting.

Setting: 20 years old genius mechanical engineer. Asset owner of over 100 billion. Orphan.

Starting point: 5 years before original starting point.

(Point: -1985)

I’ve been to various worldviews, but having capital is convenient after all.

[Do you want to proceed as is?]

“Yeah.”

When space changed, it started in an apartment in Seoul, and there was no servant, just a 3-room 58 pyeong apartment.

As expected, Koreans like apartments even if they have assets.

In the apartment, several trophies and awards were displayed, almost all of them are awards from international academic competitions such as Math Olympiad, Science and Technology Competition, Programming Competition.

It seems because of the setting as genius mechanical engineer.

I looked for something that would be information around and checked.

‘Acknowledged as a genius, early graduated middle school and high school and went through both bachelor’s and doctoral courses at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)…’

His parents who were doing business both died due to gate incident, and he seems to have just returned to Korea after finishing doctoral course.

Most of the assets he holds were also in hunter guild stocks.

The location of the house was not so good if it were reality, but unexpectedly the price was quite expensive.

Because it’s safe since there’s a hunter guild nearby.

Looking at such things, I couldn’t help but realize again that this is a hunter worldview.

That day, after grasping the current situation, I went outside and had a bowl of soju and gomtang.

“Excuse me, aren’t you the genius engineer Park Tae-jin?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Wow, as expected! Please give me an autograph!”

While I was deliciously eating gomtang after returning to Korea after a long time, a lady came and asked for an autograph.

It seems I’m quite a famous person.

‘Is it natural because I entered MIT at a young age and swept various awards?’

I had also lived as a famous person in other worldviews, so I didn’t get very flustered and willingly gave an autograph.

Then some more people came and asked for autographs, and I gave them autographs similarly.

Only then I was about to eat gomtang again, but the soup had already cooled down.

In the end, I had to ask the auntie to reheat it and then finish the meal.

‘From next time, I should wear even a hat.’

The next day, I was going to go directly to the Hunter Association, but since I didn’t have a car, I had to take a taxi in the end.

Because it seemed many people would recognize me if I use public transportation.

Arriving at the Hunter Association and going inside, quite many people caught my eye.

Staff were busy going back and forth among people gathered here and there, and guild salespeople were going around giving business cards to recruit newly awakened hunters.

“If you join our guild, we will support stable income as well as systematic training!”

“Wait, listen to our side’s conditions too. We support initial equipment as well as additional compensation according to performance!”

Guild salespeople were holding onto hunters who received high grades and eagerly recommending joining, listing their respective advantages.

On the other hand, hunters receiving recommendations seemed unable to easily make decisions.

Some received contracts and carefully looked at compensation and working conditions, and some were busy comparing with conditions suggested next to them while listening to the other’s explanation.

“Is the basic salary about this much? And hazard allowance is separate?”

“If I join a guild, is it restricted to receive requests personally?”

“You said equipment support, but do I have to return the cost if I resign later?”

Questions poured out here and there, and guild salespeople hurriedly answered to not miss hunters.

Between people trying to present even slightly favorable conditions and people trying to receive better treatment, the association was quite lively.

‘Becoming a hunter is not easy either. As it’s a life-threatening job, it’s natural to check each condition.’

I picked a number ticket and sat in a seat, waiting for a while and grasping people’s levels.

Because I didn’t know the degree of strength of this world yet.

Then my turn came soon, so I got up from my seat and moved to the counter.

“Oh, aren’t you Park Tae-jin?”

As expected, the Hunter Association also recognized me.

“Yes, that’s right. It seems I awakened. I came to register.”

“Is that so? Then give me your resident registration card and please read the awakened person precautions.”

The guide took my resident registration card and handed me three A4 papers.

Roughly skimming the contents, there was a warning not to use abilities carelessly unless it’s a case of dealing with dungeons or magic beasts, along with content that if you violate this, it can work very unfavorably legally.

In addition, various precautions such as regulations that you must enter a dungeon that matches your grade were densely organized.

“Once you’ve read it all, please sign here. And this is a guide about benefits you can receive when you become a hunter, so please look at it when you have time later. Please write your name and address, contact information here too… Yes, it’s all done.”

It felt like I came to receive a physical examination at the Military Manpower Administration.

“Registration as a hunter and grade measurement are free because the state supports the cost for the first time only. However, if you re-measure your grade after that, there will be a personal burden, so please note. Then I will guide you directly to the measuring room.”

Still, it was much kinder than the Military Manpower Administration.

It seems because each awakened person is treated as an important strategic asset of the nation.

I sat on a chair placed in front of the measuring room according to guidance and waited for my turn.

People waiting together around were all visibly nervous.

Someone was staring only at the floor with both hands tightly clasped, and another person was anxiously shaking his leg and checking his watch several times.

It makes sense.

For hunters, one grade could decide their life.

From treatment and income that can be received according to grade to dungeons that can be active.

Moreover, there is an insurmountable gap between high-grade hunters and low-grade hunters.

No matter how much you train swordsmanship and train your body, it was difficult to fill the gap in innate grade with effort alone.

So for them, grade measurement was not just a simple test, but an important moment that determines their future life.

“Next person, please come in.”

Finally, it became my turn, so I went inside.

Inside the measuring room, there was a large black crystal, and several equipments were connected to that crystal.

“Although I already know you because you are famous, but there is such a procedure, so I’ll ask. What is your name?”

“I’m Park Tae-jin.”

“Please put your hand on the black crystal over there and wait.”

I put my hand on that crystal and started to pour mana, but since I still don’t know how much mana S-rank has, I checked the crystal with [Naked Eye] and started to put only as much as the crystal can handle.

Wooong wooong wooong wooong!!!

Then that crystal started to vibrate as if it would break, and it seems I made a mistake putting a bit weakly.

“Oh, why is this like this? Huh, no way!!! Please wait a moment!”

The employee looked alternately at the trembling crystal and measuring device, then said so and went somewhere.

In the meantime, I recovered the mana I had injected so that the crystal would not break further.

It seems to be expensive equipment prepared with taxes, so there was no reason to break it.

After waiting a little, several employees entered the measuring room.

“Um… Mr. Park Tae-jin, with this device, it is impossible to measure mana. To use a precision measuring device, we need to get permission from upper management, so could you visit the association again in 3 days?”

“Yes, well, okay.”

Since they said so, I quietly went outside and took a taxi again and returned home.

When Sung Jinwoo received re-measurement, I remember the surroundings became noisy as the result was known outside.

But I was in charge of an older employee for measurement, so he quietly told me the result inside the measuring room.

Thanks to that, people outside didn’t know my grade, and there was no disturbance like when Sung Jinwoo did.

As soon as I returned home, I started to design a suit based on Iron Man suit with the help of Nano.

So I also set the setting as a genius mechanical engineer.

To properly show such a concept, above all, I need to make a suit to wear and fight myself first.

I was going to refer to Iron Man’s suit for basic design.

However, since durability should not be lacking, I planned to use Oramite from Warhammer worldview as the main material.

Oramite is a metal with high affinity with energy, so if necessary, mana can be injected to further strengthen defense.

You might wonder why I don’t use Uru or Vibranium, but those metals have one drawback.

It is that they are too hard to the extent that they ignore physical laws.

If defense is too outstanding, rather people might think it strange.

So I thought it was necessary to show some appearance of the suit being destroyed after receiving attacks to some extent, so I chose Oramite.