[The Lord of the Sky sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["Tsk! That demon is up to no good... Choose me, Seong Eugene. I will bestow the Lightning Orb upon you."]
"...What's a Lightning Orb?"
I genuinely didn't know.
The term "Lightning Orb" never appeared in the original work.
[The Lord of the Sky shows you the Lightning Orb.]
[Lightning Orb]
[The essence of lightning. By consuming the Lightning Orb, you can acquire the power of lightning.]
[Type: Consumable]
[Rank: SS]
As soon as I saw the Lightning Orb, I knelt down. I felt like bowing to Zeus right then and there.
"O Zeus, god of the sky and thunder, please grant me your contract!"
Zeus, despite his erratic personality, is a god who never lies and always keeps his promises.
If Zeus says he'll give something, he gives it. He's not the type to change his mind midway.
'The Heavenly Demon Divine Art is tempting... but the Lightning Orb can be taken to the real world.'
The Lightning Orb also has a higher rank. SS is just below the highest rank.
As far as I know, the highest rank is SSS. There's also an EX rank, but that's beyond ranking and is considered god-tier.
[The Lord of the Sky offers you a formal contract.]
[Will you formally contract with the Lord of the Sky?]
"I will!"
[The King of Demons laughs.]
[The constellation, the Lord of the Sky, has formed a formal contract with you.]
[A portion of the Lord of the Sky's divinity seeps into you.]
[All stats except Luck increase by 5.]
All stats except Luck increase by 5.
Ordinary divine seats don't grant such a significant boost. This is possible because Zeus's divinity is among the highest in Atlantis.
[Constellation Skill: Astrape (C) has been granted.]
[Astrape]
[You can imbue your weapon with the power of lightning.]
[Type: Constellation Skill]
[Rank: C]
My hands itched. I wanted to test this skill immediately to see its effects.
[The Lord of the Sky sponsors you with a Lightning Orb.]
Crackle! Zap!
A sphere of lightning, as if tens of thousands of bolts had been condensed into one, appeared in the air before me. It was smaller than half the size of my palm.
I knew from the sponsorship notification that this was the Lightning Orb. The orb floated in the air without falling to the ground.
Looking at it, I realized something was off.
'Can I really take this to the real world?'
It looked like touching it would electrocute me to death.
[The Lord of the Sky sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["Don't hesitate. Eat the Lightning Orb now."]
Urged by Zeus, I reached out toward the Lightning Orb.
Summoning my courage, I grabbed it, but strangely, it didn't shock me. It felt like holding a smooth, round bead.
I hesitated as I tried to put it into my inventory.
'If I don't eat it now, my relationship with Zeus will definitely sour.'
Zeus even sponsored me to eat the Lightning Orb.
'Should I just ignore it and escape to the real world?'
I thought about it for a moment. What would be more beneficial?
After some deliberation, I decided to consume the Lightning Orb in this world. I chose to look at the future rather than the present. Zeus had invested this incredible item in me. He must have taken a loss, even if I didn't know it.
'He made a huge investment, so he'll want to recoup it.'
In other words, I might be able to get more out of Zeus.
'...I'm also investing in myself. If I consume this and grow stronger, I can obtain valuable things in this world.'
I opened my mouth. The crackling Lightning Orb was a bit intimidating, but it didn't hurt at all when it touched my tongue.
Gulp!
I swallowed the Lightning Orb.
"Ugh?!"
I felt something hot in my stomach. It spread throughout my body and was absorbed. My entire body tingled.
But the tingling soon faded.
[You have absorbed the Lightning Orb.]
[Trait: Lightning (A) has been generated.]
[Lightning]
[You can wield the power of lightning.]
[Type: Trait]
[Rank: A]
"Wow."
I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
I now naturally understood how to handle the power of lightning and what it could do.
'Is it okay to give this much?'
It was almost frightening.
[Conditions met.]
[You can unlock the 'Lightning' trait.]
[Consume 50 points to unlock the 'Lightning' trait?]
[Yes / No / Hold]
A notification from the Play Life App.
'Of course, hold.'
I wanted to unlock it immediately, but I didn't have enough points. I would prioritize unlocking the Lightning trait as soon as possible.
"Thank you! Lord Zeus! I'll work hard! I'll also choose the Thunder Madman class!"
[Will you choose the Thunder Madman class?]
How could I not? I've received so much.
[You have chosen the Thunder Madman class.]
[Strength +3, Agility +5, Stamina +2, Mana +8 stats have increased.]
[Class Skill: Thunderstorm (C) has been generated.]
[Thunderstorm]
[You can shoot lightning.]
[Type: Class Skill]
[Rank: C]
'Status window!'
<<<<<>>>>>
[Name: Seong Eugene]
[Class: Thunder Madman]
[Title: Capitalist]
[Constellation: Lord of the Sky]
[Affiliation: AL 401 Earth]
[Stats]
[Strength: 16]
[Agility: 18]
[Stamina: 18]
[Mana: 30]
[Luck: 19]
[Unique Trait: Deception (A)]
[Trait: Lightning (A)]
[Skill: Astrape (C), Thunderstorm (C)]
<<<<<>>>>>
It felt good to see it all filled out.
I trembled with excitement.
"Thank you! Thank you! Lord Zeus! From now on, I'll devote myself to seducing every beautiful woman!"
Until now, I was an atheist. I believed gods didn't exist.
But from now on, things will be different. I am a believer of Zeus. Long live Zeusism!
[The Lord of the Sky sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["I'll be watching."]
"I won't disappoint you!"
I grinned widely. Now, I planned to test out my skills. I needed to know exactly what they could do to use them effectively.
[The King of Demons requests a private conversation with the Lord of the Sky.]
[The Lord of the Sky mocks the King of Demons and accepts the request.]
I frowned at the notification window that appeared before me.
Private conversation.
The fact that this notification appeared in front of me meant they were discussing something related to me. No, they were deliberately showing it to me. They wanted me to wait quietly until the conversation was over.
'What's going on? Has the King of Demons not given up?'
As far as I know, an exile who has already contracted with a constellation cannot form a dual contract with another. To contract with another constellation, the original contract must be terminated.
'Terminating a contract is complicated. It's not something that can be done immediately.'
I racked my brain, but it was hard to guess what the King of Demons was discussing with Zeus.
'Damn. They're not going to terminate the contract, are they? If they do, I won't be able to use the Astrape skill.'
Terminating the contract is unthinkable. Zeus has already invested too much in me. Only a fool would terminate the contract.
After about ten minutes, a notification window appeared before me.
[The King of Demons offers you a formal contract.]
"...I've already contracted with Lord Zeus."
My tone reverted to informal.
The King of Demons? I have Zeus behind me. There's no need to grovel before the King of Demons. Besides, the King of Demons doesn't seem to care much about my tone or attitude.
[The King of Demons sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["If there's a way, would you form a dual contract with me? The Lord of the Sky has agreed."]
"...Lord Zeus. Did you really agree?"
[The Lord of the Sky sponsors 1,000 AP.]
["Yes. It seems amusing."]
Zeus, this bastard. Look at him sponsoring 1,000 AP after catching his prey.
Well, he did sponsor the Lightning Orb, so I'll be satisfied with 1,000 AP for now.
"Well... if Lord Zeus has agreed... I guess it's good to form a dual contract if possible."
My heart began to race again.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art! Heavenly Demon Divine Art!
[The King of Demons sponsors you with an S-rank Upgrade Ticket.]
[The King of Demons sponsors you with an S-rank Upgrade Ticket.]
[S-rank Upgrade Ticket.]
[Can be used on traits and skills ranked S or below. Using it will increase the rank of the trait or skill by one level.]
[Type: Consumable]
[Rank: S]
"Gasp."
It's worth over 100 million AP. Even with 100 million AP, it's not easy to obtain. The King of Demons sponsored me with two of them.
Even if it's less valuable than the Lightning Orb, it's clear that the King of Demons is no ordinary being.
[The King of Demons sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["Use it on your unique trait, Deception. It's probably A-rank."]
"..."
My face stiffened. The excitement I felt from the sponsorship plummeted to the depths.
"...How did you know?"
I never used my unique trait, Deception, even once during the tutorial. I didn't even mention it.
No matter how powerful a constellation is, they can't see an exile's status window. The Atlantis system wouldn't allow it.
[The King of Demons chuckles.]
[The King of the Heavenly Demon sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["Equivalent Exchange isn't a trait that consumes AP to receive items. From now on, call it Barter."]
"...That alone wouldn't be enough to confirm, right?"
Then what would they think about items suddenly appearing?
The constellations would probably think it's a hunter ability I possess. I decided to stick with that explanation.
[The King of Demons sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["I've seen a human with the Deception trait before. I inferred it from your attitude and how others treated you. People strangely believed your words. Judging from their reactions, it's probably A-rank."]
"..."
I had underestimated the King of Demons.
This guy is dangerous.
I had a premonition that I would be betrayed by him someday. The King of Demons is not to be trusted.
[The King of Demons sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["No need to be so wary of me. I genuinely like you. Now, use the Upgrade Ticket."]
"...Fine."
Feeling uneasy, I used the Upgrade Ticket.
But first, let's get the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
[You have used the S-rank Upgrade Ticket on the unique trait Deception (A).]
[The unique trait Deception (A) has been upgraded to S-rank.]
[You have used the S-rank Upgrade Ticket on the unique trait Deception (S).]
[The unique trait Deception (S) has been upgraded to SS-rank.]
[The King of Demons sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["Use Deception to trick the Atlantis system and create a second status window."]
"Is that possible?"
[The King of Demons sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["It's possible by exploiting the rules of the Atlantis system. Since it's a legitimate method using your unique trait, the Atlantis system will turn a blind eye."]
In other words, it's not a loophole but a legitimate method using my unique trait, so Atlantis will recognize it.
I followed the King of Demons's instructions and used Deception.
[You have used Deception (SS) to trick the Atlantis system.]
[Success.]
[A second status window has been created.]
[Title: 'System Trickster' has been granted.]
[Luck has permanently increased by 1.]
<<<<<>>>>>
[Name: Seong Eugene]
[Class: –]
[Title: System Trickster]
[Constellation: –]
[Affiliation: AL 401 Earth]
[Stats]
[Strength: 16]
[Agility: 18]
[Stamina: 18]
[Mana: 30]
[Luck: 20]
[Unique Trait: Deception (SS)]
[Trait: –]
[Skill: –]
(Second status window applied.)
<<<<<>>>>>
"...I can't believe this is actually possible."
I could even choose a different class.
But as a trade-off, I couldn't use the Lightning trait or any of the skills I originally had.
'I think I get it. This is like an alternate character.'
However, the unique trait and stats seem to be shared.
[The King of Demons offers you a formal contract.]
[Will you formally contract with the King of Demons?]
"I will."
[The constellation, the King of Demons, has formed a formal contract with you.]
[A portion of the King of Demons's divinity seeps into you.]
[All stats except Luck increase by 4.]
[Constellation Skill: Heavenly Demon Divine Art (S) has been granted.]
"Wait a minute! You're giving the Heavenly Demon Divine Art as a constellation skill?"
[The King of Demons laughs.]
[The King of Demons sponsors 10,000 AP.]
["Choose the Demon class."]
...I feel a bit cheated, but I still got the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. I decided to be satisfied with that. In reality, my mind was flooded with information about the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, making it hard to think of anything else.
[You have chosen the Demon class.]
[Strength +6, Agility +4, Stamina +5, Mana +12 stats have increased.]
[The effect of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art (S) has caused the class to evolve.]
[The Demon class has evolved into the Heavenly Demon class.]
[The class trait Demon Body (B) has evolved into Heavenly Demon Body (A).]
<<<<<>>>>>
[Name: Seong Eugene]
[Class: Hevenly Demon]
[Title: System stickster]
[Constellation: King of Demons]
[Affiliation: AL 401 Earth]
[Stats]
[Strength: 26]
[Agility: 24]
[Stamina: 27]
[Mana: 46]
[Luck: 20]
[Unique Trait: Deception (SS)]
[Trait: Heavenly Demon Body (A)]
[Skill: Heavenly Demon Divine Arts (S)]
(Second status window applied.)
<<<<<>>>>>
I have become a Heavenly Demon.
***
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