7 – It Seems Only I Can See It – 2

The reason his parents had named him Jun was to mean that, whatever he did, rather than following others, he should establish his own standards and act in accordance with his own definition.

It also carried the meaning of becoming a standard—a model and a symbol that others wished to emulate.

Of course, the Hanja characters were different, and perhaps they had just chosen the single-character name Jun because it sounded pretty, only to add a plausible story later, but Gi-jun was still deeply grateful for the meaning his parents had infused into his name.

However, the world was too harsh for him to live such a splendid life.

Far from becoming a standard for others, it was overwhelming enough just to keep up with the norms others had established.

The backlash was too fierce for him to act while asserting his own definition.

Only after learning how to accommodate others rather than asserting his own will could he barely become a part of society.

It was the same even after he was dragged to the other world.

To accommodate others, he chose a round and broad shield instead of a sharp, protruding weapon.

Although he was excited when he realized he had a talent for combat, he was afraid of facing another backlash and warily guarded against standing out like a sharp awl.

He only went along with everyone and avoided asserting his own opinions out of fear.

His own individuality and standards, which had no need to scramble to conform to the norm.

Uniqueness.

He had been trying hard to deny that it clearly existed within him.

It was because he did not want to suffer any longer.

Because he had fully realized how difficult and exhausting it was to stand alone.

However, as he was left alone in this world with only the Demon King, he had no choice but to stand alone, whether he liked it or not.

At this very moment.

His long mental escape had finally come to a complete end.

—Touch me gently, gently…

“Is this… because it’s a rampaging spirit that I can hear its voice?”

“Of course not, are you an idiot? That is what you call spiritual sensitivity. You are about to awaken a secondary status soon.”

‘Wow, to hit the jackpot in a place like this—’ the Demon King muttered, finding it fascinating herself.

Such attitude conversely seemed to prove his uniqueness, making it sink in completely.

A uniqueness that no one could deny.

Talent as a Spirit Summoner.

I have that?

“Indeed, Earth was not a civilization to be discarded. As if your other talents are not outstanding enough, to think you even have an aptitude for spirit arts.”

“Demon King…”

Was it really possible?

What if he only possessed spiritual sensitivity but the rest of his talents were abysmal, leaving him unable to handle spirits in the end?

Would contracting with a spirit at this point make any major difference?

Gi-jun had such thoughts, but seeing the Demon King genuinely happy, he suppressed them.

Even for the sake of her who was cheering him on, he had to discard such a weak mindset.

He would establish his standards.

He would start by accepting himself as he was, without needlessly putting himself down.

“Demon King, teach me some spirit arts.”

“What is with the request? It is so unfamiliar.”

The Demon King giggled and shook her head.

“Sorry, I cannot use spirit arts either. But this is actually perfect. Since there is a spirit right here, if you can calm down the rampaging spirit and contract with it, wouldn’t you have no need to learn spirit arts from anyone else?”

“Is that easy?”

“Then did you think spirit arts would be easy?”

—Aaaah! The horned woman! I hate that woman!

The Demon King, who had pointlessly poked the cube with her finger, declared once more as she watched the spirit throw another fit and Gi-jun struggle to soothe it.

“Still, do not confuse the order of priority. First is the grade upgrade of Dexterity. Spirit arts will be learned by taking separate time after that.”

“Got it, I will finish it in a flash.”

“Ha, it is the trap of the tutorial’s final dungeon, yet you do not even have Trap Disarming. How fast could you possibly finish it anyway…”

The Demon King, who had been joking to completely lighten the serious atmosphere, narrowed her eyes as she watched Gi-jun begin to solve the Rubik’s Cube quickly and stably.

Although there should have been no way for him to stop the spirit’s rampage since he had not trained in spirit arts yet, he was solving the cube with extremely bold yet delicate hand movements, avoiding provoking the spirit as much as possible.

Of course, his talent to see and hear spirits must have played a part, but to be more precise:

‘Could it be… that his original talent was in Dexterity?’

And although it felt like a sudden realization—it was actually quite natural.

Gi-jun was originally a tank who took charge of the party’s front line.

In other words, getting hit was his job, making it only natural for his Endurance to rise the fastest.

Since Dexterity, which he had not even trained intensively, was on the verge of catching up to the Endurance he had raised by rolling around like a dog, there was no doubt that his talent in Dexterity was outstanding.

‘Yes, come to think of it, cooking and butchering are also skills affected by Dexterity. This is really not bad. If his Dexterity had been at the Uncommon grade or higher from birth, I would have recognized it sooner.’

However, since status potential could decrease due to subsequent environmental changes or emotional factors, it could never be said that Gi-jun’s talent was lacking.

Also, potential that had shrunk in that way could quickly bloom beautifully again if given the right environment.

Hoping that Gi-jun would awaken all his potential here—with such trivial thoughts, the Demon King quietly stepped back to avoid disturbing Gi-jun while he concentrated.

It was two hours later when Gi-jun solved the entire cube and upgraded his Dexterity to the Uncommon grade.

—Thank you for handling me with care…!

“You worked hard too, spirit.”

During those two hours, Gi-jun became quite close with the spirit.

As he constantly talked to and comforted the spirit to prevent it from rampaging while he solved the cube, the spirit, which had been sealed inside the cube for a long time, also opened up to Gi-jun quite a bit.

“What, is it really over?”

The Demon King, who had been playing at building a castle by herself with cards made of mana, knocked down the castle and narrowed her eyes upon seeing Gi-jun finish upgrading his Dexterity and converse sweetly with the spirit.

“Even so, this is too fast.”

“Isn’t it because the teacher is excellent?”

“At least wet your lips before you lie.”

The characteristic of flattery was that its intentions were usually transparent.

Nevertheless, why was there never an end to people who flattered?

That was because flattery was effective even if it was transparent.

It was the same for the Demon King.

“So what is next? What would be good to grow?”

However, the moment the Demon King, who was in a very good mood, clapped her hands and entered teacher mode, Gi-jun realized he had stepped on a landmine.

After a brief internal conflict, Gi-jun decided to hide the truth and spoke as he held out the Rubik’s Cube containing the Spirit of Light.

“Then, from now on, spirit arts…”

“Open your status window and skill window.”

“Damn it…”

—Huh?

Giving up on everything, Gi-jun set the Rubik’s Cube down in a safe place and obediently opened his skill window.

Discovering that Persistent Regeneration had reached level 99, the Demon King smiled brightly and wiggled her fingers.

“You are really fun to train. At first, I thought it would be a long-term project, but to think you can already create a unique skill.”

“Do not push yourself too hard, senior.”

“No, you are already a cake that has begun to be made. I cannot stop until you are baked beautifully.”

The Demon King, who was preparing to throw a punch, snapped her fingers as if she had suddenly remembered something.

“We are growing regeneration, right? Then it seems it would be helpful to cast a debuff that slows down your regeneration.”

“It sounds so effective that it is terrifying… Huh?”

Say what you will, Persistent Regeneration was the skill that had sustained his life up to this point.

The next moment, after he tensed up at the Demon King’s words about half-sealing that skill, he felt an intangible energy rise from his body and naturally repel the Demon King’s mana.

—The Legendary Skill [Unfailing Body Clock] resists interference with internal regenerative power.

—Resistance great success. A positive correction is applied to the Rare Skill [Persistent Regeneration].

—The Legendary Skill [Unfailing Body Clock] resists interference with internal regenerative power.

—Resistance great success. A positive correction is applied to the Rare Skill [Persistent Regeneration].

“Huh?”

“Oh?”

Gi-jun and the Demon King’s voices overlapped.

Of course, he knew well that his innate skill allowed him to resist all kinds of debuffs, but he had never expected it to repel a debuff cast directly by the Demon King.

And to think that it would apply a correction to Persistent Regeneration because of that.

Could this be an effect added upon reaching the Legendary grade?

If that was really the case… his judgment that he would have to live without buffs for the rest of his life was withdrawn.

“Demon King, hit me now. A bit harder than usual.”

“No, wait a minute, Hero. Did you not just repel my debuff?”

“And a correction was added to my regeneration by that much. It feels like a buff… Just hit me first.”

“What kind of cheat skill is that… Oh, right, it is indeed a cheat skill.”

Realizing anew how Gi-jun had ended up being left behind in this world with her, the Demon King threw a punch and pierced his stomach.

Because she had misadjusted her strength, it did not pierce completely, and her fist became lodged in his abdomen.

“You…”

Gi-jun spoke, gritting his teeth at the foreign sensation in his abdomen.

“You know this hurts more, right…?”

“Ack, sorry, but this feels really weird to me too…!”

While the Demon King hastily pulled out her fist and shook her hand in discomfort, regeneration took place.

Not only did it reduce damage through real-time regeneration of the hit area from the moment he took the Demon King’s attack, but it also regenerated at a visibly fast speed, filling up his abdomen.

Seeing that, the Demon King’s eyes also sparkled.

“Sorry, but I am going again now?”

“Come.”

Repelling the Demon King’s debuff and having a correction applied to his regeneration conversely, Gi-jun could also feel that his regeneration skill was about to overcome a barrier.

Therefore, he had to apply as much stimulation as possible before the correction wore off.

He closed his eyes tightly, and the Demon King pierced his abdomen without warning.

This time, without a sliver of hesitation, she clearly penetrated his abdomen.

“Kuuuugh—!”

—No, what should I do…!

At the groan Gi-jun let out through gritted teeth, the Rubik’s Cube sitting on the floor vibrated and glowed pointlessly.

Although Gi-jun himself probably did not know it, that was proof that the spirit sealed inside the cube had already begun to commune with him.

Watching the cube react violently to Gi-jun’s pain, the Demon King thought that this might be a good opportunity to acquire spirit arts.

Ah! Teaching multiple things at once, what an excellent teacher she was!

“Hero, I am going continuously from now on, so raise your hand if you feel like you are going to die, okay?”

“You are not going to stop even if I raise my hand!”

“How did you know?”

“I heard it at the dentist! Aaaah!”

—Bam bam bam bam bam!

The doctor began to beat Gi-jun using both hands.

Since it was not a situation where he could survive relying on regeneration alone, he tried to block her attacks by mobilizing Enjoying Without Tiring and Metallization, but rendering his resistance useless, holes were punctured in his body and blood splurted out.

Every time he sustained an injury, the Persistent Regeneration skill reacted sensitively to restore the wounds, but the spirit, who did not know this, thrashed about as if it were going to explode the Rubik’s Cube.

—Don’t do that! Don’t hit him!

“You are really going to die at this rate. Hero, are you okay?”

“Kuaaaaaah!”

No matter how much the wounds regenerated, the pain could not be erased.

In the midst of that, he had no choice but to force a smile just to avoid collapsing from the fatigue of regeneration, so if this was not hell, what was?

—No… No! I told you not to bully him!

The cube reacted more and more violently, and now it began to crack open completely, while the Demon King wore a satisfied smile as she watched.

Of course, her heart twinged seeing Gi-jun in pain beyond his limits, but she struggled to control her expression, thinking that this was all for him.

Because… she was used to being the villain…!

“Hero, you are really going to die at this rate. Seriously…!”

“Uaaaaah!”

At that moment when Gi-jun, screaming from the pain exceeding his limits, gritted his teeth and stood his ground,

Two things happened simultaneously.

—The skill [Persistent Regeneration] responded to your strong will and performed a miracle. All wounds were completely recovered!

—The skill [Persistent Regeneration] transcended its limits and evolved into the Unique Skill [Rapid Regeneration]!

—The skill [Persistent Regeneration] responded to your strong will and performed a miracle. All wounds were completely recovered!

—The skill [Persistent Regeneration] transcended its limits and evolved into the Unique Skill [Rapid Regeneration]!

First, Gi-jun’s entire body, which had been ruptured by the Demon King’s attacks, was restored to its original state in an instant, as if time had been rewound.

Even without checking the system messages, it was clear that his regeneration skill had completely overcome the barrier.

—I cannot just stand by and watch anymore! Contract with me and defeat that evil demon!

Second, the Spirit of Light wrapped in brilliant light emerged from the shattered pieces of the cube.

To the Demon King, it looked like a massive lump of light, but Gi-jun could see a beautiful woman wrapped in a white silk dress.

That was a rampaging spirit? Where did it look like that?

—Quick, grab my hand! Please…!

The Spirit of Light cried out in a desperate voice.

At this point, Gi-jun could also tell that she was under a massive misunderstanding, but now was the time to ride the great flow created by the Demon King without hesitation.

—Okay, I got you!

The moment the hand he held out firmly grabbed the spirit’s hand,

As the souls of the human and the spirit were tightly bound, a single possibility that lay dormant within Gi-jun completely awakened.

—You have awakened the Rare status [Spiritual Power]! Spiritual Power is the power to communicate with and influence spiritual beings. The higher the Spiritual Power, the more deeply you can commune with them and exert stronger power. Spiritual Power (R) has become 10.

—By contracting with the Spirit of Light, you acquired the Rare-grade skill [Light Spirit Arts]! By succeeding in calming the rampaging spirit and forming a contract, a large correction has been given to the Light Spirit Arts skill. The level of the [Light Spirit Arts] skill increased by 19, reaching Level 20!

—You have awakened the Rare status [Spiritual Power]! Spiritual Power is the power to communicate with and influence spiritual beings. The higher the Spiritual Power, the more deeply you can commune with them and exert stronger power. Spiritual Power (R) has become 10.

—By contracting with the Spirit of Light, you acquired the Rare-grade skill [Light Spirit Arts]! By succeeding in calming the rampaging spirit and forming a contract, a large correction has been given to the Light Spirit Arts skill. The level of the [Light Spirit Arts] skill increased by 19, reaching Level 20!