While a smile adorned Ryo's face, Eva looked at him and tilted her head slightly.
["What are you thinking about, Host?"]
He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if an evil idea was taking root in his mind, and said:
"I'm thinking about how to take advantage of that information."
["Did you come up with an idea?"]
"Yes."
He took a deep drag from his cigarette, then exhaled the smoke calmly through his mouth and nose, the smoke rising slowly toward the ceiling like a mist telling a story.
"The first thing I'll do is buy this building and some abandoned land."
He paused for a moment, a faint glint of greed flashing in his eyes, then took another drag.
["Why?"]
"Well, since the prices are going to rise, this is the best chance for me to make money… and that money will help me develop my power."
["Are you still thinking about pulling the roulette?"]
Ryo pointed the cigarette at Eva, eyes slightly narrowed, his voice carrying a mix of hesitation and determination.
"Yes and no."
["I don't understand."]
"I want to pull from the roulette, but not now… I need to train with Hercules' power first."
["Then what's the point of gathering money?"]
Ryo lifted the corner of his lips in a slight smirk, laced with a hint of challenge.
"To buy dungeon rights… to fight monsters and level up."
["That's good, but I still don't fully understand—why do you need to buy dungeon rights? And why are dungeons even a business in the first place?"]
"Because dungeons are monopolized by guilds and the Awakened Association… to make money and boost their members' levels."
["Wouldn't it be better to destroy the dungeons to prevent breakouts and monster attacks?"]
Rio chuckled lightly, but his laughter was void of warmth—like an echo in an empty room.
"This is how it should be… but once you've tasted power and wealth, it's hard to go back."
[Hmm… truly strange, you humans.]
"Eva… you must understand, humans are the strangest creatures you'll ever meet."
Eva, who was beginning to understand Rio more, blinked twice as if contemplating something deeper than words.
[If the dungeons are controlled by the guilds and the association, how will you purchase rights to them?]
"From the black market for dungeons… I'll buy from there, and I'll also rent some through the Awakened Association."
[Alright, but… shouldn't you train your body first?]
"Don't worry, I'll start training… but I need to solve another problem first."
[Host, your problems never end…]
He spoke in a calm tone, but his eyes were filled with heavy seriousness, as if each thought was a sharpened blade:
"The problem… how do I explain the mana surge and this new trait I've acquired?"
Rio took a deep breath, then entered a deep state of focus.
His gaze stilled, his features calmed—as if time itself had stopped for a moment.
Eva didn't disturb him and watched in silence.
"… A second awakening… that's the answer."
He paused briefly, a flicker of tension passing over his face, then continued slowly:
"I can use the breaking of a Rank B dungeon to cover up the truth about the roulette."
The Second Awakening… a rare and special phenomenon, with a chance of less than 0.01% of occurring.
But if it did, your abilities would skyrocket.
One Rank A awakened had undergone it and rose to Rank SS.
This proves just how rare and powerful it really is.
As for convincing them I went through it? Easy.
When a dungeon breaks, mana explodes in the area, sometimes awakening regular people.
In fact, that was the primitive method of awakening—before the invention of the awakening stone.
Since I'm already awakened, it'll be easy to explain my power boost this way.
Rio took a drag from his cigarette, then exhaled the smoke and slowly put it out as he headed to his bedroom.
He truly needed a break after such an exhausting day.
From someone once considered a disgrace to the awakened… to a person with limitless potential.
He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes.
Eva silently followed.
Seeing that he was asleep, she smiled softly and leaned in close to his face.
[I'll make sure you become an unstoppable being.]
---
The next day, Rio woke up early to begin training…
But was forced by Eva to clean his entire apartment, which took a full two hours!
In one corner, he even found stacked-up garbage bags, and had to go up and down from the fifth floor over 20 times!
---
The sun stood high in the sky, the heat suffocating—it was mid-summer.
In a public park, a young man was struggling to run, his body drenched in sweat, his clothes clinging to his skin, his breaths heavy and uneven.
It was Rio, who had decided to train, but had fallen victim to the "little demoness" hovering over him—Eva.
[Come on, you lazy fool! Faster!]
"Damn it… I can't go on!"
Rio was about to give up.
[Remember why you're running. Why do you want to become strong?]
Those words struck his heart like an arrow.
"Why do I want power?"
"Yes… to crush everyone… to prove I'm not a failure."
Suddenly, his steps quickened.
He ran wildly, as if his life depended on it.
He kept going until his legs felt like they were made of lead and collapsed as though he'd been hit by a car.
Eva floated in front of his face.
[You're really weak—you couldn't even last two hours of non-stop running!]
He couldn't respond, but if he could, he'd definitely curse at her.
[Five-minute break, then we continue training.]
Even though Rio didn't want to continue, he knew… there was no turning back now.
This was the path he chose.
Five minutes passed, and strength training resumed.
As usual, Eva forced him to go on until he collapsed.
Training continued until late into the evening.
When he returned home, he couldn't feel anything.
He showered, then lay down on his bed, staring at the progression bar of the Herculean Strength:
[00.01%]
"Damn it… are you kidding me? After all that hard work?!"
[No, host. This is normal. Progress is slow because you need actual combat for real growth. After all, Hercules grew stronger through endless battles.]
"… I know."
He raised his hand toward the ceiling, then slowly clenched his fist.
"Even though the progress is small… I'm growing. In the end, this is an SSS-level power."
His eyes, shadowed beneath his messy hair, resembled a dark cave where a beast waited patiently.
Eva watched him silently, then nodded.
He looked toward the window, where the sun was slowly setting behind the horizon, its golden hue melting into the sky.
Rio stood and headed out to buy food from a nearby restaurant and some essentials.
He arrived at the restaurant and ordered a massive meal. Ever since gaining Herculean Strength, his appetite had grown immensely.
After eating ten plates of rice, curry, salad, meats, and steamed buns, he felt full.
Rio noticed that every eye in the store was staring at him.
Honestly, he felt uncomfortable under all that attention—like a monkey in a zoo with people tossing bananas at him.
He didn't stay long. He paid for the meal and left quickly without looking back.
"Damn… I need to start making money fast. At this rate, I won't be able to afford food."
Rio was annoyed by the fact that he had to gather a large sum of money soon to cover the cost of living and growth.
---
He decided to take a walk around his neighborhood, hoping to find a dungeon about to break so he could be ready to fight and test his new powers.
He kept searching, sensing the mana levels in the nearby areas—but to no avail.
"Sigh… Looks like I won't find one easily. Then again, if it were easy, the guilds or the Awakened Association would've found it already."
Since he didn't find any sign in this area, he decided to head back.
But he still planned to search other areas later, hoping to find a breakthrough.
On his way back, he passed by a grocery store and bought some eggs, milk, and other breakfast supplies.
He also stopped at a shop selling cameras, surveillance equipment, and recording devices.
"With this gear, my plan will soon be complete."
Eva was perched on his head.
[Host, you're evil.]
"Haha, no… I'm not evil, I'm neutral."