Max Talent Player

“I’ll give you the Immortal Fleet.”

“...What?”

It was actually Schultz who was shocked. He had asked for the Immortal Fleet, but hadn’t thought Hyukjin would really give it to him.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“How come you’re willing to give it to me?”

Hyukjin closed his eyes. “Because I want to get you.”

“Me…?”

“Yes. I want you, Schultz.”

“...”

Schultz was caught off guard by this unexpected situation, but he quickly regained his bearings and nodded.

“I won’t disappoint you,” he said, his voice full of resolve. “You really won’t regret it?”

“I saw the kind of person you are at the Dewinged Angel Statue Gate.”

“...”

“Back then, you were willing to sacrifice yourself in order to save other Players.”

“Everyone there would have done the same thing.”

“Not me.”

If Hyukjin hadn’t been there that day, Schultz would have died there.

“And today, you’re here asking me for the Immortal Fleet.”

“...”

“I can see now that you’re doing so for a noble cause.” Hyukjin smiled. “Actually, I’ve been testing your sincerity. I wanted to know if you truly have the will to carry out the public good.”

That was why he had been dragging out this conversation with Schultz. A message quickly followed on the heels of his words.

[The ‘Lady of the Scales’ offers you a sincere apology.]

As one would expect from a lawful good Guardian, the Lady of the Scales was keen to apologize for any misunderstandings. She was truly easy prey.

[The ‘Lady of the Scales’ gives you a ‘Testing Scales’ as an apology.]

[‘Testing Scales’ has arrived in your Gift Box.]

“I wanted to check if you would truly use the Immortal Fleet to do great deeds, and whether you had the resolve and strength of will to do so.”

“...”

Schultz was silent. His lips kept opening and closing as if he was going to say something, but was swallowing the words.

‘If I give the Immortal Fleet to Schultz…’

Schultz would give Hyukjin his unconditional help and cooperation. That was Schultz’s natural-born character and personality. A man so foolishly honest that he would never forget a favor, that was how Hyukjin assessed Schultz.

‘Schultz will become my subordinate.’

This was a Player who hadn’t existed in the past. He was, in other words, a variable. Doing this would allow Hyukjin to control this variable.

‘I’ll give the Immortal Fleet—’

And in exchange—

‘I’ll get Schultz, who has the Immortal Fleet.’

Hyukjin didn’t think it was a bad trade. However, it wouldn’t seem that way to the Guardians. He knew Schultz was an upright person who would go so far as to offer his life to repay a favor, but the Guardians didn’t. Even the Guardians would be surprised by this turn of events. Many of them were probably either baffled or frustrated. There might even be a few who were raging about him being a ‘pushover’ who would give away his ability willy-nilly.

‘It’s my job to keep directing for the Guardians who think that.’

He waited a little longer before asking, “Is there something you want to say to me?”

* * *

* * *

Schultz was overcome with admiration.

‘This person is a true hero.’

No, he wasn’t just a hero. He was more akin to an antihero born of turbulent times rather than a hero with traditionally noble values. But he was still definitely a hero, through and through.

“To tell you the truth…”

In the end, Schultz decided to be honest.

“I was testing you, Hyukjin.”

“...”

Hyukjin cheered inwardly. ‘As I thought.’

No matter how stupidly honest or single-minded he might be, there was no way a Player of Schultz’s level—and a sovereign, at that—would come to Hyukjin and ask for the Immortal Fleet so obstinately.

‘He had an ulterior motive.’

It felt like they were playing chess. Moving this piece would expose another, and he had to predict that while exchanging another set of moves.

Feigning ignorance, Hyukjin asked, “You were testing me?”

“I wanted to know what kind of person you are. That was why I so shamelessly asked for the Immortal Fleet.”

Without even offering any compensation in return.

“Why do you want to know what kind of person I am?”

The yellow light glowing above Schultz’s head was now becoming more distinct to Hyukjin’s eyes. Schultz had opened his heart to him more.

“Because I had to decide who I will serve.”

Serve. It wasn’t the first time Hyukjin had heard that word. The yellow light above Schultz’s head became brighter.

“Does that mean you’re going to serve me?”

“Yes. This is System regulated, and I cannot refuse your orders without appropriate justification or evidence.”

“What happens if you refuse?”

“The Immortal Fleet will be destroyed, and the aftermath of that shock…” Schultz paused, then continued after a beat. “...will kill me.”

“...”

It was an enormous penalty.

“You want to serve me even with such a huge penalty?”

“Yes. That’s what I want.”

“Why?”

“Because you believed me even without System assistance. I think I can entrust someone like that with my life.”

Hyukjin hadn’t been going for something so extreme, and Schultz’s resolve threw him into a bout of internal conflict. Holding someone’s life in your hands wasn’t necessarily a good thing. It was a heavy burden to carry.

“What happens when you decide to serve me? Will your class advance?”

“Yes, that’s right. How did you know?”

“We have an Explorer of Service in our guild. She’s bound by the System to serve me.”

Schultz nodded. “I’ll be advancing as well. The class I’ll be advancing to is [Sea King of Service].”

There was a short period of silence. Hyukjin opened his eyes, having made his decision. He was already past the point of no return—it was too late to turn back now.

“I accept your offer.”

He was going to make Schultz his subordinate even without any System restrictions, but now, there was a System absolute in the mix. That was actually far more advantageous for Hyukjin.

‘Like I saw with Somyi, classes with [Service] in them are strongest when they’re with their Recipient of Service.’

That led him to this conclusion:

“I’ll give the Immortal Fleet to you after enhancing it.”

The conversation had come full circle.

“Schultz. I need your incantation.”

“Incantation?”

Schultz didn’t seem to know the term.

“The words you spoke in the Dewinged Angel Statue Gate, I need you to repeat them.”

* * *

Schultz selected his ‘Recipient of Service’. The recipient was, of course, Kim Hyukjin.

It was just like what had happened with Kang Somyi. He could read everything about Schultz, as well as all of Schultz’s hidden pieces. At least up to the intermediate period.

In addition, Schultz’s level was synchronized with Hyukjin’s.

“My level… is 44.”

The German Player was once again shocked. He knew Kim Hyukjin’s level was going to be high, but he never expected it to be in the mid-40s.

On the other hand, Hyukjin wasn’t all that surprised, having experienced this before. A series of notifications went off in his head.

[The Sea King of Service has chosen you as their ‘Recipient of Service’.]

[The condition for their choice is the Immortal Fleet.]

[If they are not given the Immortal Fleet within 24 hours, the foundation of trust between the involved parties will fall apart.]

Everything proceeded quickly. Schultz understood what Hyukjin meant and agreed to use an ‘incantation’ to restore and enhance the Immortal Fleet.

“I know the perfect place for the incantation.”

Incantations didn’t just pop out in any random time or place. Only a specific environment and circumstances would allow that particular incantation to shine.

Hyukjin asked, “Where?”

“The Yi Sun-sin Statue Gate.”

It was surprising that a first-time visitor of the country knew about the Yi Sun-sin Statue Gate. It was originally called the Immortal Fleet Gate, but apparently, the gate’s name had changed. Still, the information Hyukjin learned from clearing it the first time would be clues for the second clear.

They went to Gwanghwamun together. When Hyukjin was here with Pietro, the Yi Sun-sin Statue had turned its head to stare at him, sending a slight chill down his back.

This time, it felt different. There was a yellow light above the statue’s head, as if giving him a hint.

[Yi Sun-sin Statue Gate]

A gate that can only be activated and entered by someone who has the Immortal Fleet and is accompanied by a person engraved with the stigma of a special incantation.

Hyukjin could not enter it alone, nor could Schultz. Both conditions had to be fulfilled for the Yi Sun-sin Statue Gate to open once again.

“You seem to know this place,” said Schultz.

“This is where I obtained the Immortal Fleet. Though the name has changed a little.”

The location was the same, but the name and gate description were different. Schultz nodded in understanding.

“I think we can enhance the Immortal Fleet here. I’ll do the incantation here.”

Hyukjin activated the gate.

[Entering the Yi-Sun-sin Statue Gate.]

When Hyukjin first entered the ‘Immortal Fleet Gate’, he heard a narration. Someone had read aloud lines from the War Diary of Yi Sun-sin.

He remembered the gist of those lines.

[We set off in the morning and reached the dock at Dangpo straightaway.]

But to Hyukjin’s surprise, the voice he heard wasn’t the same as before.

“We set off in the morning and reached the dock at Dangpo straightaway.”

It wasn’t a narration. Schultz was reciting the lines himself.

“Twenty enemy ships were moored in a line. We surrounded them and engaged in combat, but one of the big ships seemed to be a panokseon of our country.”

“Schultz?”

Fog was thick around them, the saltiness of the sea rich in the air. This time, they were on the shore.

‘The next part was about the height of the mast, the Japanese commander, and letting loose crossbolts, cannonballs, and bullets…’

Schultz continued to speak.

“The mast on the ship was around two jang (6.66 meters) high, and the Japanese commander on the observation platform sat imperiously, unmoving.”

He was matching the narration from back then, word for word.

But then, he faltered. His lips moved wordlessly. He was like a broken doll trying to say something but lacking the words. Schultz twisted his body in pain, hot steam emerging from his lips.

‘His skin…’

It was cracking.

‘It’s the side effect of an incomplete incantation!’

He had to complete the incantation. Otherwise, his body would shatter like glass after an impact, unable to bear the burden of the incantation.

“Aghhh… aghhhhh…!”

Schultz released a terrible, uncontrollable scream. Hyukjin hastily combed his memories.

‘After the last line, we were given the Battle of Hansan Island quest.’

What was that last line?

He racked his brain for the last line. Even if you didn’t remember the parts in the middle, you typically remembered the first and last parts.

‘I remember it!’

He quickly said, “We let loose a rain of crossbolts, cannonballs, and bullets.”

Schultz continued, spurred by the reminder. “We let loose a rain of crossbolts, cannonballs, and bullets.”

And one breath later—

“Seek life to die, seek death to live.”

Hyukjin could tell.

‘The incantation… has been completed.’

This wasn’t a partial success like all the incantations so far, but a ‘flawless’ one. This place was originally the Immortal Fleet Gate.

[Immortal Fleet Gate]

The soul and will of the Chungmugong (Lord of Loyal Valor) Yi Sun-sin culminated in the Immortal Fleet. Those who wish to succeed his will and write a new page in the history of conquest, enter here.

A voice rang out. It wasn’t a System notification, but someone’s voice.

–Write a new page in the history of conquest.

A massive giant formed behind Schultz. The voice seemed to belong to that giant. The squirming shadow soon turned into a brilliant light that swept away all the fog, revealing the blue sea. The wind picked up, whipping into a gale. A wave took form on the water.

‘There, in the distance… I see ships.’

The massive giant behind Schultz was shining bright gold.

‘Oh my God.’

The golden figure radiated an immense aura more overwhelming than any powerful monster he had faced so far, be it Fire Giants or Red Devils. An aura so imposing that Hyukjin found it difficult to breathe.

‘The incantation is complete right now.’

The giant slowly moved its body. When it moved, lightning split the sky and thunder rumbled above. A massive wave spread outwards towards the sea.

Crack—!

Cracks were spreading along Schultz’s body.

Schultz was probably as shocked by this situation as Hyukjin was. Neither of them had expected this. Schultz had completed the incantation, but his body was about to disintegrate from the burden of it.

And then, Hyukjin knew. Why this place existed, what this place was for, and what he, the person being served by people tasked with ‘service’, had to do here.

‘I need to weaken the incantation’s strength.’