# Player with Maxed-Out Talent, Episode 77

Behind Kwak Tae-Woon, something was stuck. I knew what it was.

‘Candle.’

And among them,

‘A blue flame candle.’

A candle that holds the name of blue flame. True to the name, the candle had a blue flame burning.

‘Switch the light off, and a new field opens.’

When and how they are created are unknown, hence why they are also referred to as ‘random artifacts.’ Among these random artifacts is this candle, of which there are two kinds: a red flame candle and a blue flame candle. Before I knew it, Shin Yeon-Seo had approached me and said,

“There’s something on his back that looks like a candle? And it’s blue.”

Next to her, Kim Seon-Hwa also looked on curiously.

“It’s fascinating. The candle is stuck on his back. Will it go out if we blow on it? I want to try.”

Her eyes were gleaming like those of a curious child—it was quite adorable. I’ve been feeling this a lot lately, but I did a good job taking her as my younger sister. She’s cute every day.

“You can’t blow it out.”

“Got it.”

It was a period of turbulent waves, but she was obedient. Kwak Tae-Woon asked me,

“Do you know what this is by any chance?”

“I don’t know.”

I pretended to observe for a moment.

‘Blowing it out too soon will make the difficulty skyrocket.’

But if you wait too long and the flame completely dies out, the candle will disappear. The light must be extinguished before the wick burns away completely.

“Shwam-bam. This is a very curious flame. I happen to be pretty incredible at arson.”

Kang Sang-Koo, having a potential in fire attributes through the Scroll of the Fire God’s Body that rivals none, saw the ‘candle’ as something extremely intriguing.

“If we put it out, something new might happen?”

He had a relatively accurate intuition.

“But I think it’d be bad to put it out too quickly.”

Indeed, geniuses will be geniuses. His quick grasp of the situation was telling. Kang Sang-Koo’s gaze turned toward me.

“What shall we do?”

* * *

“What shall we do?”

With that single question, Kwak Tae-Woon was completely certain. The true leader of this group was that man. That is, Kim Hyuk-Jin. I was a bit unsure. Honestly, I did not know that there was someone else leading the Tutorial Terminator. I saw Shin Yeon-Seo’s movements before. Her movements were almost miraculous.

‘If I were to face her…’

Absolute defeat. Shin Yeon-Seo was impressive. So was Kim Seon-Hwa. She had a phenomenal tanking ability. Kang Sang-Koo’s flame magic stood out even among the mages gathered here. Yet, everyone naturally waited for Kim Hyuk-Jin’s words and judgment.

‘It means Hyuk-Jin hyung is that amazing.’

It was too natural. The way they were awaiting Kim Hyuk-Jin’s opinion. In that moment, I felt an emotion similar to longing.

‘I want to learn.’

And, Kim Hyuk-Jin, through his Sensory Eye, already noticed that longing.

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Status: A bit of longing / trust / confidence

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I had achieved my purpose for coming here. I had won Kwak Tae-Woon’s heart.

‘The candle… its rewards outweigh the risks.’

Especially since it’s a blue flame candle. There’s a high probability that the rewards will be bigger.

‘Moreover, the person who extinguishes the blue flame candle is able to choose who they will take along.’

The answer had been decided. Low risk, high return—if so, it’s only natural to take the challenge. At least by my standards.

[‘The Nameless Observer’ is watching you.]

[‘The Lady of the Scales’ awaits your choice.]

[‘The Courageous Lion King’ is getting impatient.]

[‘The Barrier of Blue Light’ respects your caution.]

[‘The Whispering Devil’ is bored.]

Kim Hyuk-Jin waited a bit longer.

‘Timing must be perfect.’

At the very moment before the wick burns out to nothing. The difficulty can be on extreme opposites by a difference of 0.5 seconds. It’s all random.

‘Now…!’

Kim Hyuk-Jin blew at the ‘blue flame candle’.

Whoo-!

The moment he blew, the candle went out.

Suddenly, notifications sounded.

[‘The blue flame candle’ has been extinguished.]

[Perfect timing!]

[There can be no more perfect than this.]

It felt like a fanfare was sounding.

[Due to perfect timing, the difficulty level is significantly reduced.]

[Due to perfect timing, the rewards are greatly increased.]

The progress notification also sounded.

[Choose the players to proceed with you. Maximum raid party: 6 people.]

I made the choice right away. Kwak Tae-Woon. Kang Sang-Koo. Ma Sang-Hyun. Kim Seon-Hwa. Shin Yeon-Seo. And Kim Hyuk-Jin.

‘This is… a consideration for me? Is it because I timed it so well?’

I can’t be certain, but how could it fit the number of people so perfectly? Regardless, it’s good. The wind began to blow. It was a refreshing breeze.

[↑↓↔↘↘↗]

The wind blew gently and randomly. At the same time, the notifications continued.

[You have escaped the sudden gate ‘Hill with Blowing Wind’ and entered the sudden gate ‘Tomb of the Wind Warrior.’]

* * *

The surroundings were quiet. It was a gloomy backdrop with eerie fog rising. The atmosphere felt like an unmanaged graveyard or an abandoned plain. Occasionally the calls of crows could be heard, “Caw, caw.”

“Ugh, shwam. It’s scary.”

Kang Sang-Koo wrapped his arm around my right arm.

“B-boss, I don’t like this.”

Ma Sang-Hyun wrapped his arm around my left arm. Ah, ah! A mouse, a mouse! I’m scared of mice! As he shivered. They were half hanging onto me, and this feeling… was strongly unpleasant.

“If you both don’t let go, I’ll kill you here.”

If it was Shin Yeon-Seo or Kim Seon-Hwa, maybe, but what in the world were these guys bigger than me doing?

‘Well, they don’t really seem to be scared, to be honest.’

For Kang Sang-Koo, the status was,

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Status: Intrigued / A bit of fear / Bluff

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And for Ma Sang-Hyun, the status was,

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Status: A bit scared / Willpower / A bit frightened

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…displayed as such. Since there’s intrigue and willpower included, they’ll perform well once we have to play. Then, my Sensory Eye caught something.

“Everyone, stay alert.”

It was because of the blue flame candle, and we blew it out at the perfect timing. The difficulty shouldn’t be outrageously high. But we couldn’t help but be tense.

The ground shook – trembled. A tomb, located a good distance away, started to rise. And from there, I felt a sensation that was familiar.

‘This feeling is…’

It was a sensation I had previously experienced. The presence of a monster I had fought before was felt.

‘An orc warlord?’

An orc warlord was rising. Beside it… other tombs were also surfacing.

‘Those are just a distraction.’

Nothing will come out from there. The difficulty has been set very low. Ordinarily, alongside the orc warlord, there would have been orc archers. A few ordinary orcs escorting the orc archers would have sprung up, as well. Strangely enough, I could tell.

‘I can see it.’

What the original difficulty level of this place would have been. How it would have progressed. I hadn’t seen it, but it came to me naturally.

‘Two orc archers. One standard orc. And the orc warlord.’

This combination would have pressured us. If that situation had actually unfolded,

‘It might be a bit difficult with our immediate force, but… it’s not an impossible difficulty, either.’

If we had maneuvered cohesively, we unquestionably could have cleared it. Even the protection of the ‘orc archers’ by three or four other orcs would make it notably more difficult, but that’s to be expected.

Shin Yeon-Seo drew her sword.

“I understand what you mean.”

It seemed that even Shin Yeon-Seo felt it through her own Ki Perception— that we must now face the orc warlord that we have encountered before.

“Hyuk-Jin, do you still have that iron rod that you used before?”

It’s commendable that she remembers the strategy to defeat it.

“Yeah, I have it.”

That’s when I heard the announcement.

[‘The Shepherd of Las Vegas’ proposes a new quest to you.]

[‘The Shepherd of Las Vegas’ divulges the details of the new quest.]

[‘The Shepherd of Las Vegas’ request activates a ‘Temporary Pause Ability’.]

The Shepherd of Las Vegas, who enjoys gambling, offered me a new quest. There was a note.

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1) Quest. ‘Secret within the Tomb of the Wind Warrior’ can be activated. Accepting this quest will restore the difficulty to the original ‘Tomb of the Wind Warrior’ level. In addition, five ‘orcs’ will be generated.

2) Clearing the quest rewards 100,000 coins.

3) Clearing the quest awards ‘Orc Warlord’s Gauntlets’.

4) Clearing the quest provides ‘First-time Entry Rights to the U-Flex Dungeon’.

5) Failing the quest results in the death of the whole party.

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100,000 coins, of course, but also the first entry rights to the U-Flex Dungeon.

‘First entry rights to the U-Flex dungeon?’ The U-Flex I briefly visited next to Shinchon Hyundai Department Store. It seems to imply we will get entry rights for that place. A dungeon that hasn’t officially opened yet.

‘They want to open it first for us?’

How exactly it opened in the past remains undisclosed.

‘We must absolutely go there.’

And, to be given the orc warlord’s gloves as well. It’s a honey-like reward for me who is already equipped with a part of the set. The Shepherd of Las Vegas. His proposition wasn’t bad. Ma Sang-Hyun asked me,

“Boss, what should we do?”

The fact that we all can converse in a field under a temporary pause means that the other party members must have received the same offer.

If it’s not just two orcs, but five additional ones. They won’t be just any orcs but ‘orc archers’ closely escorting them.

‘Clearing that difficulty in this current state is impossible.’

The guardian who proposed this is none other than the Shepherd of Las Vegas.

‘The Shepherd of Las Vegas. His propositions are always close to a gamble.’

That gamble is dangerous but at the same time, tempting. Gold Tower Michelle. She succeeded in all the gambles proposed by the Shepherd of Las Vegas and once stood at the pinnacle among the lord-tier players. If I can use that gamble well, it implies a possibility exists for me.

‘The only issue is ‘If the quest fails, everyone dies’…’

This time, Shin Yeon-Seo spoke.

“Boss. I think it would be good to accept this offer.”

“Why?”

“Because I think it’s absolutely clearable?”

But why does the summary look like this?

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Summary: A swordsman (劍客) who holds trust in my gut

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The weird summary aside, as their leader, I had to make a decision. Honestly, my own judgment was similar to Shin Yeon-Seo’s. A little risk. And a great reward.

‘Let me look a little closer.’

During the pause granted by the pause ability, I scrutinized the field with my Sensory Eye and Observer’s Eye. Our lives were at stake. If my observation and intuition were wrong, everyone could be in danger. If it seems too risky, it would be right to back out. Because if we die, everything ends.

‘As it originally was, clearing would not have been impossible.’

But I felt a strange confidence. More precisely, I felt confident that I could solve this place.

[There are 3 minutes left until the pause ability is lifted.]

I had to make a decision.

“Kwak Tae-Woon.”

“Yes?”

The still-unripe Avatar of Hammurabi. Kwak Tae-Woon follows the principle of repaying kindness with kindness and enmity with enmity. Kindness doubled, and enmity tenfold. That’s how Kwak Tae-Woon operates.

“I’ll transfer this to you.”

With our current power, we cannot accept the ‘Shepherd of Las Vegas’ offer. That would be too dangerous.

‘But if Kwak Tae-Woon joins us with the Scroll of Wind God’s Body…’

There’s a possibility. We would be able to survive this place, and even beyond that, win a substantial reward.

“…What?”

“I’m lending it to you, not giving it.”

I passed the Scroll of Wind God’s Body.

“That, I mean…”

Kwak Tae-Woon probably doesn’t know the true value of this item. However, he will realize it’s incredibly beneficial. Especially once he applies it to himself, he’ll understand even more keenly.

“Repay kindness with kindness. I’m handing it over because it seems more suitable for you.”

“…”

“For our survival now.”

“…Got it.”

Kwak Tae-Woon didn’t reject it as vehemently as Kang Sang-Koo. Handing it over to him wasn’t very difficult.

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Summary: The Avatar of Hammurabi who is resolved to repay kindness

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“Use it right away. You’ll feel a big change in yourself. Just like Kang Sang-Koo did.”

“…”

Already, a wind-type prodigy becoming a prodigy above prodigies with the use of the ‘Scroll of Wind God’s Body.’

“…I’m not sure if this is okay.”

“It’s okay. Just repay it double.”

“…”

“I don’t know what I have for you to go to such lengths.”

“Maybe it’s potential?”

“…”

Kwak Tae-Woon seemed quite moved. Well, kindness is kindness. It’s not just for you or an investment for you, but after all, kindness deserves kindness.

“I will use it now.”

“Do that.”

Kwak Tae-Woon used the ‘Scroll of Wind God’s Body.’ Intense wind hugged Kwak Tae-Woon, swirling around him like a storm. The fierce whirlwind wind absorbed into Kwak Tae-Woon’s body. Just by that, Kwak Tae-Woon’s spirit had been altered.

It took about a minute.

‘I’m ready.’

There’s about one minute left until the pause ability is lifted. The groundwork has been laid.

‘Now there’s just one thing left.’

I spoke up.

“Senia. I want to make a suggestion to the Shepherd of Las Vegas.”

There’s a saying, strike while the iron is hot. Senia, who was relaying to us in a transparent state, urgently whispered to me.

-Kim Hyuk-Jin Player, are you sane?

Don’t worry, Senia. I’m perfectly sane, and I will be able to create a much better picture and advantage for myself.

-Don’t you remember what I told you before?

-What are you referring to?

This game has been opened by the Shepherd of Las Vegas. Just opened.

Now the game is made by me.