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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Unearthing Power
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I quickly skimmed through information on the internet.
My main search targets were artifacts, or the remains and fossils of ancient creatures.
[Perfectly preserved mammoth fossil sold at auction for 15.4 billion...]
[Oldest statue of Vishnu in Indian history discovered in Mohenjo-daro...]
[Greek government's request for the return of artifacts from Britain rejected...]
Before my regression.
After fully understanding the secret of [Predation], I had fanatically collected artifacts and the remains of living creatures.
I guess I'll have to do the same this time.
I opened my banking app.
[NG Bank - Balance: 11,956,450]
Compared to my memories from before the regression, the amount felt jarringly low.
My mind went blank.
Was I really this broke?
I finally remembered what my situation was like at twenty-three.
I had diligently saved money during my military service and even received tuition money from my grandfather.
Even so, I couldn't even get a whiff of an artifact, let alone buy one.
Stroking my chin, I recalled my knowledge from before the regression.
Wasn't there an artifact I could obtain even without money?
As I sifted through my memories,
"Ah, that's right!"
A memory from before my regression surfaced.
The year 2030.
A Tyrannosaurus fossil, the first of its kind ever to be excavated in Korea, was discovered.
The most complete fossil.
It was a monumental discovery that rewrote the history of archaeology.
The winning bid was 62 billion, if I recall correctly.
I remember a wealthy American won the auction.
But in the year 2025, I could get that fossil for a mere million.
How, you ask?
I just have to dig it up myself!
Back then, I had been very interested in that fossil.
Perhaps that's why I remembered it in more detail than any other artifact or fossil.
And here I thought my days of digging were over when I left the army.
With a self-deprecating laugh, I threw on some clothes.
It was time to act.
* * *
Clack-clack. Clack-clack.
The train sped along the straight tracks.
I watched the scenery pass by the window, organizing my thoughts.
'Before, I took such a long and winding path.'
The potential of [Predation] is immense.
By preying on the essence of monsters, artifacts, or ruins, I could extract stats and unique abilities.
However, it took me about three years to make a name for myself as a Player.
It was because of my lacking base stats.
At first, I was ostracized from parties because of my ability's penalty.
A bitter smile played on my lips.
It rendered the value of monster corpses to zero.
A side effect of the [Predation] ability.
Potions.
Artifacts.
Magitech engines.
Besides those, byproducts from monster corpses were used in all sorts of fields.
Monster corpses were treated as the new treasures of the 21st century.
-The ability to turn gold into shit.
That was the derogatory nickname other Players gave [Predation].
In the early days of entering the Tower, I had to move in a team, so there were many times I couldn't use Predation.
In the end, that hesitation became the shackles that slowed my growth.
'Not anymore.'
If things go according to my plan, I won't need to move in a team in the early stages of the Tower.
Primordial Species.
The essence of the most powerful creatures obtainable on Earth.
'Commonly known as dinosaurs.'
In middle school science, they teach that dinosaurs went extinct because of a meteor.
That's actually wrong.
The dinosaurs weren't defeated by a meteor from space, but by the Old Gods of the Tower of Babel.
The essences that can be absorbed with [Predation] have their own grades.
≪Myth > Legend > Ancient > Rare > Common≫
Five grades in total.
The higher the grade of the essence, the more powerful the stats and unique abilities it possessed.
The essence of a Primordial Species is Legend grade.
Just one step below Myth grade.
What's a higher grade than Primordial Species, you ask?
The ten-headed dragon, Hydra.
The sea god of calamity, Leviathan.
The evil dragon Fafnir, and so on.
Beings of immense status and power—the so-called Myth-grade essences.
At my current level, a single snort from them would blow me away.
'If I can obtain a Legend-grade essence in advance, I can climb the ranks much faster.'
I just hope my memory isn't wrong.
-Our train will be arriving shortly at Jeonju, Jeonju Station. Please check to make sure you have all your belongings.
A deep voice echoed in my ears.
Stretching, I headed to the baggage car.
*Clank.* The heavy weight in my hands made me frown.
"Damn, this is heavy."
I grumbled to myself as I gathered my things.
Clutching the heavy bag, I left the tile-roofed Jeonju Station.
Just then, a line of taxis was waiting for tourists in front of the station.
"Could you open the trunk, please?"
*Thud.* As I shoved the bag into the open trunk, the taxi lurched.
"Goodness, sir. You seem to have a lot of luggage for your trip."
"Well, something like that."
I replied with a wry expression.
I wish it were for a trip.
Unfortunately, I'm not here for sightseeing. I'm here to work.
"Where to?"
"Please take me to 48-7 Kongji Patzzi-ro."
"Kongji... what's-it?"
"Ah, it's not a tourist spot. It's just a mountain."
I showed him the GPS coordinates I had saved.
A look of bewilderment spread across the taxi driver's face.
* * *
After driving up a mountain road for a while, the taxi came to a stop.
"Is this the right place, sir?"
The taxi driver looked at me with suspicion in his eyes.
"Yes. Thank you."
After unloading my bag, I looked around.
An unpaved road barely wide enough for one car.
Beside it, a hill covered in nameless weeds came into view.
'Right. This is definitely the place.'
Five years from now.
During road construction to improve traffic on the outskirts of the city, a dinosaur fossil will be discovered.
The very fossil that will be auctioned off for over 60 billion!
And this is the very spot where it will be found.
After confirming the taxi was gone, I calmly unzipped my bag.
"First, let's unpack."
Two pickaxes, three shovels, a one-person tent. And extra food like bread and drinks.
I had packed enough to stay out for several days.
I skillfully set up the tent and immediately grabbed a pickaxe.
*Thwack! Thwack!* The pickaxe blade broke the hardened ground, and I shoveled the dirt away.
Perhaps because I'd regressed to a time just after my military discharge, the knack for it was still ingrained in my body, making the work much easier.
"I don't know whether to be happy about this or not."
I smiled bitterly and swung the pickaxe again and again.
There was still so much ground to dig up.
'I came here knowing this wouldn't be over in a day or two.'
I shoveled in silence.
Blisters formed on my hands and I became breathless, but I worked on with minimal rest.
The only consolation was that it was autumn, so there were no mosquitoes.
The mountain mosquitoes, also known as "three-stripe" mosquitoes, were notoriously vicious.
When I got tired of swinging the pickaxe, I would sit on the ground.
When I got hungry, I ate the bread from my bag.
When the sun set, I would lie down in my tent to rest.
'I can't expose my body to the night dew.'
Before my regression, I had camped in even harsher environments.
Not being able to wash was uncomfortable, but I wouldn't go down until I had results.
I had brought ten days' worth of food.
I wouldn't leave this spot until my strength gave out.
Day one.
Day three.
And day seven.
A whole week passed, but I couldn't find a single piece of bone.
'Don't doubt.'
I believed in myself.
I knew all too well that the moment you lose faith in yourself, you collapse.
As I was mechanically swinging the pickaxe like always,
a *clang* struck my ears.
"Another rock?"
No, the impact felt a little different.
It was hard, but unlike a rock, it felt like something was cracking.
I threw down the pickaxe and felt the spot I had just struck with my hand.
*Sniff, sniff.* A rich scent stimulated my nose.
My [Predation] ability detected a delectable essence.
"Found it."
I grinned and used Predation.
[You have preyed upon the essence of the Primordial Species - Tyrannosaurus.]
[Essence Grade: Legend]
[Essence Predated: 0.2%]
[Strength +0.5]
[Stamina +0.4]
All that digging until my blisters burst had paid off.
The bone of a Tyrannosaurus.
It was only a tiny fraction, but the essence dwelling within the fossil was real.
"This is it!"
I couldn't hide my excitement.
My memories of the past—no, the distant future—had not been wrong.
How hard I had tried to shake off the doubts that arose with every swing of the pickaxe.
A sweet fruit obtained at the end of perseverance.
By the way.
'The penalty for the Predation skill is still the same, even after regressing.'
A complete Tyrannosaurus fossil held immense value.
But the bone, its essence absorbed, had shattered into pieces so small it was hard to tell what it had been.
The crumbled fossil was no different from the stones scattered on the ground.
'It's not like I didn't know this would happen.'
I have no regrets.
I mustered my strength and picked up the pickaxe.
The effects of preying on the Primordial Species' essence were immediate.
*Thunk!*
The pickaxe blade sank much deeper.
Thanks to the increased strength from [Predation], the work became easier.
How much longer did I dig?
Finally, the fossil of the dinosaur known by the epithet 'Tyrant'—the Tyrannosaurus—revealed itself.
"Time to eat."
Suppressing the thrill of accomplishment, I caressed the fossil with a trembling hand.
[Essence Predated: 1.3 → 2.1 → 2.8 → 3.3]
[...]
[Essence Predated: 10.2%]
*Phew.* I let out a short sigh.
"Incredible."
The words 'perfectly preserved fossil'.
They were no exaggeration.
The essence absorbed through [Predation] filled my body with vitality.
An unprecedented power surged within me.
So much so that I wanted to unleash it right away!
Player - Yoo Jinho
Age: 23 / Race: Human
Rank: Unranked / Class: None
Ability: Predation
Level: 1
Race: Human
Strength: 7 → 35.1
Agility: 6 → 32.2
Stamina: 7 → 38.3
Toughness: 6 → 33.9
Magic Power: 1 → 3.7
My stats had skyrocketed without even gaining a single level.
'I didn't get any skills, but still. This is amazing.'
I grinned.
Leveling up once grants five bonus stat points.
The stats I gained from preying on the essence of a single fossil were about 110 points.
It was like gaining 22 levels before even entering the Tower of Babel.
"Hehehe."
I savored the power boiling up from within my entire body.
With this much power, I won't get beaten around in the tutorial stage.
'As expected, one fossil isn't enough to complete the essence.'
When I absorb 100% of an essence, the true power of [Predation] activates.
Well, there will always be more opportunities to get the essence of a Primordial Species.
What was important now was that I had gained enough power to be self-sufficient in the tutorial.
I thought about my next destination.
Greece. The country that holds the most famous 'myth' on Earth.
"But how am I supposed to go down the mountain looking like this?"
My clothes were caked with dirt and sweat.
I should probably be more worried about getting home than going abroad.