Arena

Chapter 144 – Virtual Space Mastery (Part 1)

Cha Ji-hye raised her aura master to intermediate level 5 and she said she raised her physical strength buff to superior level 1.

“You have the synthetic muscle suit, why did you raise your physical strength buff?”

“The instantaneous reflex isn’t something that can be made up with the synthetic muscle suit.”

“Really? Anyway, now you aren’t far from the aura mastery.”

“Speaking just in terms of level numbers that’s true but the further up you go, the more karma it takes.”

“Anyway, I have a problem. I don’t know what to do with my remaining karma.”

“Show me your skill inventory.”

The skills I’ve got so far were as follows.

-Main skill: spirit summons (superior level 1)

-Assist skill: physical strength buff (intermediate level 5), guider (entry level 1), teleportation (intermediate level 1), vision buffer (entry level 1).

-Special skill: skill synthesis

-Synthesis skill: Divine protection of the Wind (master), Divine Protection of Fire (master), reflex (master), flame of life (intermediate level 4), transmission (entry level 1), virtual space (intermediate level 1), shooting (entry level 1), bullet revision (master), reload, dynamic visual acuity (master), see-through (entry level 1), foresight.

-remaining karma: +16,000

Carefully looking at my skills list, Cha Ji-hye suddenly spoke.

“It is an easy choice to raise your spirit summons but among your synthesis skills, do you have any inclination to master your transmission skill?

Transmission.

I created this skill a long time ago by synthesizing the physical strength buff and teleport.

-Transmission (synthesis skill): a flying object headed towards your body will pass through without causing damage.

*Entry level 1: effect time 3 seconds, cool down 1 hour

“I didn’t use it because it’s a dangerous skill.”

What would happen if the 3 seconds was up while something was passing through my body.

Then that something would stay in my body.

That was scary so I hadn’t used this at all.

“If you raised it to master, wouldn’t the effect time increase as well?”

“I suppose.”

I first summoned my board and asked.

“How much karma do I need to raise transmission to master?”

-Transmission (synthesis skill) showing karma needed for to raise to master.

-Transmission (synthesis skill): a flying object headed towards your body will pass through without causing damage.

*Master: 200 seconds per day

-Uses 5,400 karma to raise to master.

“Without a cool down and it can be freely used for 200 seconds a day.”

“It’s a little over 3 minutes. I think with that much time, it is a powerful skill.”

I thought it over carefully.

I could neglect my enemy’s attack for 200 seconds.

I could also attack unilaterally.

Let’s add to that the effect of the foresight skill to that.

For 200 seconds, I could ignore my opponent’s attacks, attack one-sidedly, all while also seeing how that person would move!

‘That’s totally unbeatable?’

There were, of course, restrictions.

The object the transmission skill refers to is a ‘small object.’

If the object isn’t small, like a sword or a punch, the transmission skill would be voided.

Anyway, it only costs 5,400 karma to master, seemed worth it.

‘I have 16,000 karma anyway.’

And I might get another 5,000 karma from Arena in India too.

Eventually I invested 5,400 karma into mastering the transmission skill.

Mastering all the various skills I had gave me a sense of satisfaction.

Now I had 10,600 karma remaining.

If I invest it in spirit summons it would be enough to raise it to superior level 3.

But I suddenly had a thought.

“Should I master the virtual space?”

“It doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Who knows, if you master it, it might give you some additional options.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for too.”

When the virtual space was increased to intermediate level 1, it became possible to store electronics.

Then the level after that, who knows what the options would be.

‘If storing weapons that use gunpowder becomes possible that would be killer.’

Thinking of that I spoke to my board.

“Show me what would happen if I invest my remaining karma into the virtual space skill.”

And then a long list of explanation on the virtual space appeared on the board.

-Virtual space (synthesis skill): create a virtual space and store objects. ‘Put,’ ‘retrieve” orders to store.

*Intermediate level 1: 200 x 200 x 200 cm, possible to store electronics

*Intermediate level 2: 300 x 300 x 300 cm, possible to store electronics. (-500)

*Intermediate level 3: 400 x 400 x 400 cm, possible to store electronics (-600)

*Intermediate level 4: 500 x 500 x 500 cm possible to store electronics (-700)

*Intermediate level 5: 600 x 600 x 600 cm possible to store electronics (-800)

Master: 1000 x 1000 x 1000 cm, possible to store electronics and living things. (-1500)

-To master will cost 4,100 karma.

-Remaining karma: +10,600

“What?!”

I was so surprised I couldn’t help but shout.

“What is it?”

Cha Ji-hye, who was close by, was curious.

“Right after intermediate level 5 is master, it says it’s possible to store living organisms in there.”

“You mean living things?”

“Yes.”

“You can just store it just as is? The living being?”

“I suppose so.”

In the virtual space, time was stopped. I know because I’ve stored food and water in there before.

So, if I put in something living in the virtual space, it won’t starve to death or suffocate in there.

“But will this be of help in the exams?”

“At least from the perspective of the various country arena organizations, it’ll be groundbreaking.”

That part was true.

If a living thing from Arena that doesn’t exist in our world was brought back, how valuable of a research object would that be?

‘They might even consider bringing back a living monster to train it.’

If it’s perfectly safe, I don’t see that as entirely a bad idea.

In that way, if I can safely get majeong, there’s no way for them to use examinees.

Hmm, but the problem is if this will help with clearing the exams.

‘I have a lot of karma anyway, should I just do it?’

No matter what, increasing the space in the virtual space could only be considered a good thing.

At the end of my pondering I decided to master my virtual space.

-Raising virtual space (synthesis skill) to master with 4,100 karma.

-Remaining karma: +6,500

“Shall we test it out?”

“Then try storing me.”

I was completely surprised at Cha Ji-hye’s words.

“No, I can’t!”

“Why not?”

“I should test it out first with an animal!”

“I don’t really see a safety issue.”

“What kind of woman is so bold!”

We eventually decided to catch a pigeon and tested it out that way.

I used Sylph to bring back a pigeon and put it in the virtual space.

Pat!

The pigeon disappeared into the bag.

With an anxious heart, I waited and then retrieved the pigeon again.

Pu du duk!

As soon as I took out the pigeon it flapped its wings and left.

“There doesn’t seem to be a problem.”

“Even so……”

“Try it.”

“Ugh.”

I hesitated.

“First, there’s another test.”

“What is it?”

“To see if storing is possible regardless of the person’s consent.”

“Ah!”

Agreed Cha Ji-hye.

What if, regardless of whether the person being stored consented to it or not, I could store someone by touching them?

I could freely store them in the virtual space and left them out right off a cliff.

“Try it.”

“Oh, okay.”

I grabbed Cha Ji-hye’s wrist and thought ‘place’.

But Cha Ji-hye remained unmoved at my side.

“Doesn’t work.”

“Then this time, I will consent to being put into the virtual space.”

I tried again to put her in the virtual space. Then……

Pat!

And then she disappeared.

Surprised, I screamed again.

“Retrieve Cha Ji-hye!”

Paat!

Cha Ji-hye appeared again before my eyes.

With an odd look, she said.

“Does it really not work?”

“What?”

“I definitely was thinking that I want to go into the virtual space.”

“You don’t know? You were just in the bag.”

“Really?”

Cha Ji-hye’s eyes showed her surprised.

It seems that because time is stopped inside the virtual space she didn’t realize she had been placed inside.

Anyway there was no bad effect on Cha Ji-hye, who had gone and come back from the virtual space.

“Later, let’s try another experiment. When I am sleeping, try to place me in the virtual space.”

“To see if it’s possible to store when you aren’t aware?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll try that later.”

But anyway, how will storing living things be of use?

Cha Ji-hye gave a suggestion.

“Among the assist skills, there is an animal training skill.”

“Animal training?”

“Yes, monsters are impossible to train, but there are examinees who train beasts and use them in fights.”

“Really?”

“Yes, the higher the level, the stronger the beast you can control. Of course, when you get to the higher levels of the exams, there are more cons than pros so nearly no one uses them.”

“What kind of cons?”

“First of all, it is a hassle to move where people are with a large beast and the feeding becomes a problem too. And to make the beast stronger you invest karma and it takes away opportunity for the examinee to get stronger.”

“Ah……”

“But those considerable cons do not apply to you.”

The virtual space!

I could freely store my beast and move about and it won’t be a hassle.

The length and width of the virtual space I mastered was a whopping 10 meters!

An incredible virtual space!

I could skip a lot of meals since time in the virtual space was stopped.

On top of that, I’ve become a strong ranker, I have enough leeway to feely invest karma into a beast.

‘Train some beast like a tiger and it’d be good to use it as my secret weapon.’

If a beast suddenly charged out and attacked, the unexpectedness would fluster the opponent and cause openings in their defense. In a dangerous situation, I could use it as a shield.

That night, we got into bed together when Cha Ji-hye suddenly must’ve thought of something and looked at me.

“Did you see the length and width is 10 meters?”

“Yes.”

“Then you could store a car?”

“Huk!”

I let out a sound like a scream.

That’s right!

Cars!

I could get a car and gas and if I can use them in the Arena……!

“Ah, but I don’t know if that’ll work. Maybe if it was an electric car but it might not work with a car that runs on fossil fuel.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“……?”

“Many Arena related organizations will have developed cars that run on majeong.”

“Ah……”

I see.

If it was a car that ran on majeong, it might work.

A majeong car like that would, by design, be ‘an electronic run on majeong’ so it might be possible to store in my virtual space.

“I’ll have to ask Odin or Chairman Park Jin-seong if they can procure one for me then.”

“Jinseong Group is specialized in IT so they might not have developed a majeong car.”

“Then I’ll have to ask Odin.”

Thinking about racing in Arena in a car, I felt good already.

This was the first time I was looking forward to an exam.