Ch.5151. Earning Points for Evolution

“So this is how it works?”

I obtained the proper compensation (?) from Seol Yuhwa in the form of a duty roster and shift log.

Two people take turns watching over me for 8 hours each during an 18-hour day.

“Should I try the same trick again when it’s Seol Yuhwa’s shift?”

Since they’ve already caught me once, they probably won’t chase after me next time.

But if I keep doing it, I’ll obviously get caught like an overconfident criminal in a mystery novel.

Anyway, my DNA points are at 11,700. If I add my m-points, that’s 12,700 points.

[Converting m-points.]

While I’m at it, I converted all my m-points to DNA points.

That brings my DNA points to 12,700.

Honestly, I could evolve into an adult form with this amount. It’s just not the goal I want.

To be frank, I could easily earn those remaining 1,300 points by hunting a few monsters in an E-rank gate. If I could just find the opportunity.

“Let’s see, they rotate once a week. That’s manageable…”

I just need to do some hunting in an F-rank gate during Seol Yuhwa’s next shift.

With the plan set in my mind, I moved on to my next task.

“Dad, Mom! Your son is treating you. Let’s eat out!”

Yeager Academy is a place you pay to attend. Being a Yeager institution, it’s like a military academy where you pay to be trained.

In other words, your once penniless son can now proudly show filial piety to his parents.

I proudly arrived at the restaurant with my wallet in hand.

“Dad, Mom, eat to your heart’s content. It’s on me.”

The monthly salary from Yeager Academy is naturally beyond what others could imagine.

That’s how much the nation invests in nurturing people like us.

This restaurant? To be honest, I wanted to choose a Michelin-starred place, but my parents would have felt uncomfortable, so I settled for a regular restaurant.

“Whew. This is our first time at a place like this, right?”

“We’re eating well thanks to our son.”

“Thank you, son~”

I felt momentarily happy seeing my parents’ joyful faces.

In truth, before my regression, I didn’t have the means. I had no summoning spirit, and I was busy being Gold Dohyun’s lackey.

But now things are different.

“By the way, Jonghyun, how’s school? I get anxious every time I see it on the news.”

“It’s fine. Um… the security is good too.”

Even though it’s been breached a few times.

“The kids are nice too.”

Despite Min Kangsu’s rudeness and Ariel’s willfulness.

But why would I tell my parents about these things?

I should say that school is going well and all my friends are kind.

“But there’s been a lot of talk about monsters lately. Have you heard anything?”

My father asked while taking a bite of his favorite shrimp monster pizza.

“About monsters?”

I’ve certainly understood Dokgo Jun’s firm monster eradication ideology.

Of course, I know what Dad is talking about. The Goigeup Group is currently advocating for research to protect and control monsters.

This has sparked intense debates worldwide, where monster extermination has been the norm, and even caused an uproar in the National Assembly.

In the world before my regression, the Goigeup Group grew in power under the pretext of monster research after incidents involving monster-humans appeared.

Come to think of it, only the direction has changed slightly. Their actions remain the same.

Gold Dohyun, Min Kangsu and me. Ariel, Seol Yuhwa and me.

These small currents have changed, but the major flow remains unaltered.

I need to gather these small changes to prevent the flow of destruction.

Analyzing the present, everyone is growing well except for the bad relationship between Ariel and Seol Yuhwa.

Even Gold Dohyun, a person to watch out for in the first year, is quiet.

Is it just a matter of stopping Eun Serin’s various schemes from the second semester?

Eun Serin ends her schemes with suicide.

What if I somehow subdue or capture Eun Serin?

I could get closer to the truth.

From the second semester, we’ll meet upperclassmen and take classes together, so I need to be careful about…

“I’ll have to watch out for those punks.”

“Huh?”

My parents reacted to my muttering. How embarrassing.

“Ah, you know how thugs have been attacking people lately. Crime rates are rising with all this unrest.”

I deliberately turned my attention to the TV on one side of the restaurant.

Breaking news was showing on a screen that usually only displayed restaurant advertisements.

[Goigeup Group Sues Dokgo Jun for Confinement and Assault]

My eyes widened at the blue breaking news banner.

“A lawsuit?”

“My goodness, that Goigeup Group or whatever is suing.”

“And they’re suing Dokgo Jun of all people. That’s incredible.”

Fortunately, my parents’ attention was also drawn to the news.

But those Goigeup bastards have some nerve. Will it work against Dokgo Jun?

Well, it’s not my concern.

As we finished our meal and left, a Monster Report appeared after quite some time.

[Monster Report]

-Capture the wind monster ‘Sakpung’.

-Monster Points: 2, Destruction Risk decreased by 0.3%

Wind monster Sakpung? That’s an S-rank monster. Is it because I’ve gotten stronger? For the first time, an S-rank monster has appeared on the list.

To defeat this one, I’ll need to maximize attribute advantages.

After returning home from dinner, I thought about where Sakpung would appear.

Unlike other Monster Reports, it doesn’t come through a gate but bursts into the human world during a Monster Break.

“Wait, how am I supposed to transform and catch it while being monitored?”

Moreover, the person monitoring me on the day of its appearance isn’t even Seol Yuhwa. How am I supposed to catch it?

Should I give up?

According to the Monster Report, it will appear in three days.

How can I earn those monster points? According to the report, it first appears in Mullae-dong, then moves to Dobong-gu.

In the process, it causes casualties by sweeping through areas with mini-typhoon level winds.

Its body structure generates wind that deals massive damage on contact and it’s good at evading attacks.

The recommendation is to use fire attribute long-range attacks.

However, it’s good at obscuring vision with wind, so the key is to avoid being deceived.

I’ve memorized the strategy, but the problem is how to trick my monitor and catch it.

I can’t just sit still. I need to create an opportunity.

I recalled the duty roster I got from Seol Yuhwa. The person assigned three days later is Shin Yeonhwa, an S-rank Yeager.

Excluding exceptional powerhouses like Dokgo Jun, Yeagers typically struggle against monsters of the same rank.

She’ll have a hard time against Sakpung.

The question is how to get away from her.

[Monster Break]

Then a brilliant idea came to mind. If I use this, I might be able to go easily.

A way to gather points and, if necessary, separate from my monitor.

I’ve just figured it out.

*

Shin Yeonhwa. This short-haired warrior with cold eyes was currently monitoring Do Jonghyun.

[Why am I monitoring that boy?]

[Don’t ask questions. It’s the Guild Master’s order. Keep a close eye on him since the Sung Min-hoo incident.]

Though assigned by Lee Chaerin, she honestly found it incredibly boring.

‘Monitoring and looking after a mere first-year lower-class student?’

Having entered the demanding White Dragon Guild and risen to S-rank, her skills were undoubtedly solid.

The issue was just that the mission was underwhelming.

‘A lower-class student with nothing special about him, yet the Guild Master is interested? What could it be?’

If he had talent, they would have naturally recruited him like Seol Yuhwa. But they’re just watching?

‘That means there’s something there. And not in a good way.’

Still, she was sharp enough to somewhat grasp Dokgo Jun’s intentions.

On this day, Do Jonghyun had ventured out to Mullae-dong.

Since it wasn’t near his home, Shin Yeonhwa’s vigilance was doubled.

‘I need to observe and analyze thoroughly.’

During the vacation, Do Jonghyun hadn’t done anything special.

‘Just like a lower-class student, he’s just playing around. In our time, we’d contact each other to hunt gates or apply for training. Is it hard because he’s in the lower class?’

He was buying street food here and there and visiting cafes.

“What’s this? He’s visiting good restaurants?”

Do Jonghyun was visiting restaurants that made even Shin Yeonhwa’s mouth water.

‘Tch. While some of us can’t take our eyes off our target for a second.’

After Do Jonghyun’s food tour came park walks, and he meticulously checked the surroundings.

This behavior continued until nightfall.

Do Jonghyun entered an internet cafe and spent hours on VR games while Shin Yeonhwa waited boringly outside.

After 9 PM, Do Jonghyun was on the phone saying he was heading home.

‘Finally going home.’

What seemed like an extremely ordinary day changed when a Monster Break alert sounded.

[Alert! Alert!]

The surrounding area became chaotic with the piercing alarm.

‘Of all places, here?’

Protection was also a primary duty alongside monitoring.

‘We’re already facing a lawsuit, we can’t afford more trouble.’

When the Monster Break occurred, Shin Yeonhwa appeared before Do Jonghyun, who had fallen (or pretended to fall) in surprise.

“Stay back!”

“Yes. Are you from the White Dragon Guild?”

“That’s right. I’m here to protect you.”

“I’ll try to escape as best I can.”

Do Jonghyun, being admirably sensible, didn’t do anything that might interfere. He knew his place and vanished like a ghost.

‘This will take some time.’

The opposing monsters were S-rank, but as a White Dragon Guild member, she could handle them.

It would just take some time.

While Shin Yeonhwa was confronting the monsters, Do Jonghyun was whistling and running toward Sakpung.

*

Using one stone to kill two birds.

I escape by leaving my monitor to deal with the Monster Break, and I take advantage of the fact that Sakpung also comes through a Break.

If Monster Breaks are happening nationwide on that day, I can use the Monster Report to lure it near Mullae-dong and then defeat the enemy mentioned in the report.

However, since we’re not in mountainous terrain, my time limit is 5 minutes at best, 10 minutes at worst.

I absolutely cannot fight longer than that.

Given both the terrain and the S-rank power, I began my transformation using my main card.

[Sub-cards: Evolution, Output Limiter Release, Trait Adjustment, Hardness Itself, Breath]

The half-dragon body evolves into a dinosaur Asura with the power of the Evolution card.

Should I use the Awakening card to finish it quickly? After all, this needs to be quick—

[Sub-cards: Trait Adjustment, Output Limiter Release, Hardness Itself, Breath]

As a feeling of ferocity grew within me, I transformed my body with Hardness Itself.

The cold sensation of metal became one with my body.

With this defensive power covering my body, I began charging forward.

The enemy is wind-attribute. So…

As I ran, I suddenly felt pain in my leg.

“Ugh!”

Looking down at my staggering body, I saw a wound as if cut by a blade.

At the same time, I heard a dull metallic sound throughout my body. The force that Hardness Itself had blocked was none other than Sakpung itself.

“Coming to greet me?”

Finally, I saw it before my eyes. A monster floating in the air, whirling up massive winds.

Its form resembled a tiger’s face floating in the air, with a glittering core inside.

An S-rank new species.

I’m going to catch you today.

[Breath]

My first attack was immediately with the Breath card.

The fire attribute of Breath has an advantage in elemental compatibility against wind attributes.

[Output Limiter Release]

With Output Limiter Release, my stats grow even further.

And so does the violence that’s hard to control.

I exhaled my breath with all this power.

A flame different from the straight-line laser of Gaia Flame was expelled.

It collided with the monster’s wind and both disappeared with a loud explosion.

Are we evenly matched? That’s actually good.

I wiped my mouth and used a sub-card again. The opponent also responded, and intense flames arose between us, canceling each other out.

But thanks to the card’s power, I had another ranged attack technique.

[Gaia Flame]

When the canceled attacks and rough winds passed before us, Gaia Flame penetrated the enemy like a laser.

At that moment, Sakpung staggered in the air with a hole in one side, visibly retreating.

This should be the end.

But again, pain shot through my leg as wind whirled around.

“Urgh!”

Sakpung was no pushover. Even while retreating, it launched an attack, and tremendous pain surged through my leg again.

“Ugh!”

It’s hard to support my leg. This is…

Looking down, I saw my leg with flesh gouged out and cut, blood flowing freely. Even the body covered with Hardness Itself had cracks all over.

S-rank monsters really are different.

I want to kill it.

“No, not now.”

Losing control here would be the worst. The guild will arrive soon too.

As I forcibly tried to raise my leg, my body was malfunctioning.

Should I snipe it again with Gaia Flame while it’s unstable?

But an S-rank monster is an S-rank monster. Right before my eyes, it filled its hole and a strong gust of wind came rushing.

My massive body collided with a wall, instantly distancing itself from the monster.

I raised my upper body from the crumbling bricks, but the monster remained imposing.

If it weren’t for Hardness Itself, I would have been knocked out already. It’s stronger than Sung Min-woo after all. My only option is to deal damage through elemental advantage.

But I want to protect at least my legs better—should I evolve into an adult form here?

I clearly had enough points for adult evolution.

Not necessarily as a mechanical dinosaur, but still.

I was retreating again in the face of another threatening attack. The Awakening card is a riskier gamble than adult evolution.

With my mind full of worries, I recalled the report submission time.

Wait a minute.

If I’ve influenced it, can’t someone else catch it? Think, Do Jonghyun. You can do this.

With that, I chose to flee.

However, my direction was toward where Shin Yeonhwa was.

[Transformation Release]

I ran to Shin Yeonhwa.

“Miss! There’s a monster up ahead!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs.

The last time I did something like this was when I was a child, running through dark streets calling for my mom.

Swallowing my embarrassment, I sought an ally.

Fortunately, Shin Yeonhwa appeared right away.

“You’re not a child.”

“A monster I’ve never seen before appeared! It’s creating wind!”

“Stay right here and don’t move.”

Of course, I will.

I stood frozen in place like a nude model.

And shortly after, I could confirm Shin Yeonhwa’s strength.

[Mission Complete]

-Earned 2 Monster Points!

-Destruction Risk decreased!

Thank you! I laughed inwardly to my heart’s content.

I couldn’t help but smile contentedly.

I’ve successfully earned the points needed to evolve into an adult form.