The Greatest Estate Designer

[Loading the Skill Window]

Lloyd opened the Skill Window.

They got trapped in between the collapsed passageways. The remaining oxygen would be enough for 30 minutes at best.

Now, it was all or nothing.

‘We have to do everything we can.’

Lloyd’s eyes moved quickly. He chose a menu located on one side of the Skill Window that popped in front of him. ‘Upgrade Skill’ was the menu he chose.

[Scanning pre-existing skills that can be leveled up.]

‘As expected, it works.’

Lloyd clenched his fists. He recalled the first time he had acquired RP from Javier and opened the Skill Window. He had memorized the contents of the messages that had appeared in front of him at that time.

‘Back then, there was a message like this, ‘You can upgrade your skills using the acquired RP.’’

There certainly was.

The system also could turn one’s talent and knowledge into a skill, which enabled him to convert his hard-earned civil engineering knowledge into skills. Those skills were the Survey and Design Skill.

That wasn’t all.

‘I got a shoveling skill too.’

Lloyd had often went to construction sites for his part-time job. That had made him so fed up with shoveling. The Skill Window also recognized shoveling as a skill.

‘If it’s like that, then I would be able to make some skills out of my new other abilities and knowledge.’

The skill he needed most at this moment. The very ability he had in mind. Surely, he’d be able to convert and upgrade it as a skill.

[List of abilities that are currently available.]

[Ability to absorb mana from the surroundings is identified.]

[…. Ability to process the absorbed mana is identified.]

[…. Ability to amplify the absorbed mana is identified.]

[Combined, these abilities can be converted into the ‘Asrahan Core Technique’ Skill.]

[RP required to combine : 15]

‘This is it!’

It went according to plan. He got the most desired result.

Without hesitation, Lloyd made a decision. He immediately used 15 RP.

A very-welcome message popped into his mind.

Ding dong.

[Asrahan Core Technique has been converted into a skill.]

[Skill name : Asrahan Core Technique]

[Stage : Single Circle lv 5]

[Absorbs mana from the surroundings. Process/amplifies the absorbed mana into the circle created around the heart and then releases it. As the number of circles increases, the mana amplification rate will increase significantly.]

[Mana Amplification Rate : 120%]

[RP required to level up : 10]

[Current RP : 142]

‘Good.’

The result was satisfactory. The Asrahan Core Technique was converted into a skill. Additionally, he received a higher stage than expected, Single Circle lv 5.

‘Perhaps because I’ve been practicing often.’

Lloyd had been training hard. He also had dueled with Sir Neumann and used it in a real fight. Since then, whenever he had the chance, he kept on training the Asrahan Core Technique. It seemed to bore fruit already.

However, Lloyd had no intention of being satisfied and ending it here.

‘If this were enough to satisfy me, I wouldn’t have spent RP to convert the Asrahan Core Technique into a skill.’

Converting it into a skill didn’t immediately strengthen his Asrahan Core Technique. His ability to absorb, process, and also amplify the power of the mana was still the same as before it was converted into a skill. However, now? He’d be able to make a significant difference by leveling up the Core Technique as a skill.

‘Positively, I could strengthen myself by using RP without having to train and practice.’

That was the biggest difference.

Lloyd poured his RP to the Asrahan Core Technique Skill.

[Skill Level Up!]

[Asrahan Core Technique : Single Circle Lv 6]

[Mana Amplification Rate : 125%]

[RP required for next level up : 15]

[Current RP : 132]

The mana amplification rate increased by 5% due to a single skill level-up.

‘Okay. This is not bad.’

Lloyd did the calculations quickly inside his head.

For every skill level-up, the RP required for the next level-up seemed to increase by 5. So, what if he invested all of his remaining RP?

‘I’ll be able to get past Single Circle Lv 10 and upgrade it to the next circle. It’s a close call, but possible.’

It was a gamble anyway. If, by any chance, the required RP unexpectedly increased by more than 5, this plan would fail. But we wouldn’t know before we tried and there was no time to hesitate.

‘All or nothing!’

In this situation where he was being driven into a corner, he’d bet everything he had.

Lloyd poured out all of his remaining RP. The skill level of the Asrahan Core Technique had increased all the way. From level 6 to level 7. From level 9 to level 10. Finally, when Lloyd scraped up and used his last remaining RP, the message he had hoped for came into his mind.

Ding dong!

[Skill Upgraded!]

‘It’s a success!’

Lloyd clenched his fists tightly. As predicted, after leveling up once more after Lv 10, the skill got upgraded. Fortunately, his RP was enough.

Lloyd read the message that came before his eyes.

[Asrahan Core Technique Skill has been upgraded to <Double Circle>.]

[Optional Skills have been unlocked due to Skill Upgrade.]

[Asrahan Core Technique : Double Circle Lv 1]

[Mana Amplification Rate : 200%]

[Optional Skill ① : Energizer – The Double Circle’s efficiency has been maximized. When using this optional feature, you can move for 10 minutes without experiencing fatigue. (Limit : Can be used only once per day)]

[Optional Skill ② : Latent Power Surge – Increases the circles’ amplification rate to the limit. With this optional feature, the mana amplification rate will be tripled for 20 seconds. However, once this feature has been used, the user will get exhausted and will not be able to use Asrahan Core Technique for a day. (Limit : Can be used only once per day)]

[RP required for next level up : 100]

[Current RP : 7]

Ba-thump! Ba-thump!

After Lloyd finished reading the skill description, his heart pounded twice as fast. Soon after, an unfamiliar yet powerful sensation—that he experienced for the first time—enveloped his heart.

Bzztttt….

Near the single circle he had created before, a new circle was formed at an angle that was exactly perpendicular from the first circle. From the front, it looked like a cross that wrapped his heart. The newly-created second circle then began to rotate.

Whooosh….!

“Hm.”

Double circle. The two circles rotated and resonated. A powerful wave of force he had never experienced before traveled through the blood vessels and awakened the cells on his whole body. The wondrous sensation made him subconsciously gasp. A smile formed on Lloyd’s lips.

‘It’s done.’

It was a jackpot. Even Lloyd himself couldn’t believe it when he read the skill description. But when he confirmed how his body felt immediately after, it finally hit him.

‘This is the power of the double circle.’

He clearly was exhausted, yet now he didn’t feel an ounce of fatigue. No, rather, he felt an unprecedented vitality inside the awakened cells in every inch of his body. When he only had a single circle back then, he had felt a different and lower level of vitality in his whole body.

‘I’m glad I converted the Asrahan Core Technique into a skill.’

By making the Core Technique he had learned into a skill, Lloyd aimed for two advantages.

‘The first one is rapid growth.’

If he converted it into a skill, he could use RP to upgrade it. By using a large amount of RP, it could be leveled up. He hoped he could achieve months or years of growth in a short period of time. And, it worked like a charm.

‘The second one was the optional skills that got unlocked as the skill was being upgraded.’

He already had experienced skill upgrades when leveling up his Survey and Design Skills. How much fun did he have with the optional skills that got unlocked at that time?

Lloyd guessed that maybe the Asrahan Core Technique Skill would be the same. If the skill got upgraded, he might’ve reached the realm of double circle. A suitable reward might also be given as an optional skill. For that, he was right on the mark.

‘The optional skills are really good.’

One could make a person be energized for 10 minutes, free of exhaustion once per day. Meanwhile, the other one allowed him to unleash explosive power for 20 seconds. Both optional skills would be of great help to his current situation.

‘Nice. Let’s do this.’

Grip!

Lloyd grabbed his steel shovel. The reason why he used his remaining RP in this situation was-

‘To clear the blocked passageway, like this!’

Whoosh!

Lloyd’s shovel parted the air. He tore through the passageway in front of him that was blocked because it had collapsed. With a rough and relentless movement, he began to dig up piles of dirt.

Dig! Dig! Dig! Dig!

The veins on Lloyd’s forearm protruded.

‘A little more! Keep going!’

His shovel moved like a gale. Such shoveling was far beyond the power of ordinary people.

The shovel poked a heap of dirt. It violently scraped the stone and the soil. After scraping it, he scooped them out as it is. About a hole as big as a bucket formed each shoveling.

His shovel continued to move faster than the spoon of a beggar who had been starving for a week.

Dig! Dig! Dig!

‘I’m not feeling tired! This is the best!’

Lloyd had already activated the first optional skill, the Energizer. The optional skill’s description was true. He moved without a break, yet he didn’t get tired at all. There was neither rain-like sweat nor harsh breathing.

Rather, the amplified mana remained around his heart due to the influence of his double circled Asrahan Core Technique. The amplified mana was also imbued into his shovel. His shoveling became more aggressive and sophisticated at the same time.

‘You shouldn’t just dig blindly. The passageway could collapse for a second time.’

It was a passageway that had already collapsed because of the shock from the methane gas explosion. With the slightest stimulus, it could collapse again. That was why Lloyd’s shoveling was rough but cautious, both fierce and careful, while being swift and smooth simultaneously. All thanks to his ample experience in shoveling.

‘It’s a good thing I had frequented the workforce center every time I had run out of money.’

This way of thinking was new to him.

Lloyd had often been told that he was good at shoveling on-site. That was the case both in the army and in the construction community. The experience of mixing concrete, in particular, was the most helpful right now.

‘That was almost my specialty.’

Mixing portland cement into the concrete mix with a shovel. For the men who had served in the military of South Korea or people who had rolled around in this field, it was something everyone had done at least once before.

Sand and cement powder would be mixed and piled up. In that state, the middle of the pile would be hollowed until it looked like a crater. An appropriate amount of water would then be poured into it. After that, they would break down the area around the crater and quickly mix it with water using a shovel.

The central point of this process was the brilliant and elaborate shovel movement that controlled the water inside the crater to ‘never’ leak outside. Lloyd had a special knack in making this concrete mix.

‘I didn’t expect I’d make use of that experience right now.’

Shovel! Shovel!

He was so experienced that the shovel moved like his third hand. He controlled his strength to his heart’s content.

Scraping and digging harder. Scooping it out and being extra careful when removing it. Flipping the shovel over, then quickly and smoothly stabbing it.

All of his movements were combined and coordinated in real-time. Thanks to this, he dug the tunnel at a phenomenal speed while hardly impacting the surrounding ground. This was the case until the tunnel he dug reached about 3 or 4 meters long.

‘So now…. Please! Appear!’

Seems like around 5 minutes had passed since the optional skill, Energizer, had been activated.

Lloyd nibbled on his lips, feeling anxious. While shoveling ferociously, he kept on activating his Survey Skill as well. He could clearly see 5 meters in front of the tunnel he was digging. However, there was still no sign of hope. Within the range of five meters ahead, he could only see soil filling the crumbled passageway. Moreover, to make matters worse, the air gradually became dusty.

‘I don’t think I can use Bangul here if it’s like this.’

The available space was still too small for Bangul to transform into her giant state. In addition, if he carelessly made Bangul transform, the oxygen that had remained could’ve gotten consumed in no time.

Lloyd gritted his teeth.

‘I have to figure this out.’

He couldn’t stop here anyway. When he gave up, the possibility of finding hope would become zero.

Lloyd’s shoveling became even more ferocious.

Shovel! Shovel! Shovel! Thud!

The tunnel he dug with all of his might grew longer. He had reached about 6 or 7 meters long. Around that point in time-

‘Huh?’

Lloyd began to see something 5 meters ahead. There was an empty hole in the size of a fist

‘Could it be?’

Shovel! Shovel!

His shoveling got even more intense. He progressed to advance even faster.

Whenever he took a step forward, the size of the empty hole in front of him—the one he saw with his Survey Skill—increased. From the size of a fist to a watermelon. From the size of a watermelon to a drum. It went on until finally it was the size of the original passageway that had been dug.

‘I found it!’

There was an unburied passageway 4,5 meters ahead!

“Javier!” shouted Lloyd. “Follow me! If you can’t walk, crawl!”

Lloyd’s head was already throbbing in pain. Sometimes, the things in front of him seemed to duplicate into two and overlapped. It was a symptom of hypoxia.

‘We don’t have much time.’

He felt increasingly bleary. At this rate, his consciousness would disappear just like a film that got cut off. If he fell unconscious like that, he would suffocate and die as if he was falling asleep.

Hypoxia, or oxygen deficiency, was the frightening reason for this symptom.

Lloyd moved his shovel and bit down on his lips as his consciousness grew hazier.

‘A little more. Just a little more!’

He only needed to dig the remaining three meters of soil in front of him. Not all of it, but just reaching the hole that was as big as a fist was enough. That was all he needed to dig, to ensure the air could get circulated even if it was the minimum amount. All to seize their hope of survival.

However, at that moment-

Ding dong.

[Asrahan Core Technique’s optional skill, Energizer, has been deactivated.]

10 minutes had passed. At the same time, Lloyd’s whole body was losing strength. The fatigue that he hadn’t felt before came all at once.

‘Still, I can’t end it here.’

It really was just around the corner. Just a little further. Amidst his dimmed consciousness because of hypoxia, Lloyd opened his eyes wide.

‘Latent Power Surge!’

Ding dong!

[Asrahan Core Technique’s optional skill, Latent Power Surge has been activated.]

[The double circle’s mana amplification rate has been raised to its limit.]

[Mana amplification rate will be tripled for 20 seconds.]

[Mana Amplification Rate : 600%]

Shovel! Shovel!

Now, there was no more smooth and elaborate shoveling. With the sole intention of surviving, Lloyd swung his shovel like a wild beast. He stabbed, poked, scrapped, and scooped.

The passageway beyond the collapsed area remained intact and the distance to there had rapidly decreased.

Shovel! Shovel! Shovel!

2 meters, 1,5 meters, 1 meter, 0,5 meter….

He stepped forward powerfully towards their hope of survival.

And at last, the thinnest part of the soil that blocked the passageway in front of him was only 30 centimeters thick.

[Asrahan Core Technique’s Optional Skill, Latent Power Surge has been deactivated.]

[You’ll fall into a state of exhaustion due to the penalty of activating the optional skill.]

Clang!

His whole body got drained of all power. He subconsciously let go of the shovel. Before he knew it, his legs already buckled. He tried to open his eyes wide but to no avail.

‘Damn it.’

Lloyd reached out his hand, trying to grab his shovel again.

He was almost there. It was so close.

He had dug a tunnel with a length of 12 meters in just 10 minutes. There was only one last step left.

‘But, is this the end?’

It was unfair.

Lloyd felt so sorry. Even more so when he saw Javier, who had fallen unconscious.

‘This guy, I shouldn’t have dragged you here.’’

Lloyd laughed dejectedly. Abruptly, he felt sleepy. His consciousness rapidly became faint.

Before he knew it, he started to hear some gibberish.

“Ppo-dong!”

“……. Huh?”

But, it was a little strange. The voice was somewhat too distinct for it to be him, talking in delirium.

Lloyd gathered his remaining strength and looked up.

At that moment, he could see-

Ppodong!

There was a fist-sized hole in the 30 cm thick soil that was left. The hamster, who was only the size of a fist, popped out his round head from there.

“Ppo-dong!”

Author’s note: Ppodong, you’re the best.

Tl/n: Nice timing, Ppodong!