Turns Out To Be a Genius Duelist

‘ By the way, Transcendental Muscle…’

Yoon-seok rubbed his chin with a strange look. He’d been doing weight training for the past twenty-five days so that it might be natural, but… and it wasn’t that he didn’t like the keyword muscle…

Should he say that it seemed like a simple name?

‘ As long as it’s effective, it’s good.’

Yoon-seok swiped the tablet without hiding his expectations. When he first obtained b Predation}, the acquired Unique Skill started from Rank F. After using 23.43 million AP at the store to raise it up to Rank S in one go, he tilted his head and checked the contents.

{Transcendental Muscles}

Rank F — Absolute Muscle Recovery: Strength, Agility, Endurance, and Durability stats are nondecreasing. They have a higher evaluation than all skills, equipment, and power.

Absolute Muscle Recovery.

‘ What does it mean by nondecreasing?’

Thinking about it, it was highly likely to be literal. They couldn’t decrease. In other words, all stats except magic maintained their default value against any debuff. It wasn’t bad for a Rank F effect, and Yoon-seok immediately thought of a skill that could be linked to this.

‘ Vajra Step.’

It used to be a skill he often used for invincibility and counterattacks. Still, after selecting the characteristics for Universal Grand Shift, he stopped using it unless it was a winning move. This was because once used, the stats of all beings within 100m were fixed at Rank F- for twenty minutes.

‘ As expected, I can’t use it.’

Because his skills were sealed as a penalty, Vajra Step couldn’t be used. Well, that was probably the same for b Transcendental Muscles}.

‘ Anyway, it said it has a higher evaluation than all skills.’

He had to use it to find out, but theoretically, he got a ridiculous skill. That linkage alone could foster unbelievable effects unless the skill didn’t work on someone like the King of Steel.

‘Even if that doesn’t work, it’s not bad. I got something good from the start.’

Yoon-seok shook off his disappointment from seeing the name {Transcendental Muscles}. Now, he began to drink the upgrade potions in order.

Rank E — Infinite Muscles: Rank limitations for Strength, Agility, Endurance, and Durability stats disappear.

Rank D — Compressed Muscle: Magic stat falls to F- for 10 minutes when used, and Strength stats increase proportionally.

Rank E could be seen as a dud because it overlapped with Transcendence, and the Rank D effect was active, not passive, so that it could be useful depending on the situation. However, Yoon-seok, who was about to drink the next potion, stopped.

「You can choose the additional effect for Rank D.」

Come to think of it; he had this. The advantage obtained by using a SSS high-ranked Personal Skillbook. Yoon-seok was able to look at the options happily.

Yeah, for a very short time.

*Charming Muscle: Muscles become larger and more beautiful, giving off captivation at a certain probability to those who see them. If the subject is the same gender, the effect increases by 2x.

As soon as he saw the first option, Yoon-seok was speechless.

“…”

Aside from the bizarre name Charming Muscle or the unfamiliar state of captivation, the effect doubled when the subject was of the same gender? Shouldn’t it be the opposite?

“…”

Yoon-seok closed his mouth. There were some odd keywords on the first day…

‘…Whatever, let’s move on.’

Yoon-seok sighed and checked the remaining options.

*Learning Muscle: Get up to 5% resistance for 10 minutes when hit by skills, power, and equipment effects. If the resistance 100% overlaps, you will be immune to the specific ability for 10 minutes.

He wondered if something like Charming Muscle might reappear, but fortunately, it was normal this time, and he was quite content with the effect.

「Learning Muscle is added to Rank D effect of Unique Skill b Transcendental Muscles}.」

Yoon-seok drank the next upgrade, and after checking the tablet, he shuddered.

Rank C — Existence Muscle: It must exist.

Even saying ‘wow’ wasn’t enough. The effect that protected b Divine Ultimatum} from the Tower’s penalty that sealed all his skills also applied to b Transcendental Muscles}. Yoon-seok recalled the Rank F effect of Absolute Muscle Recovery.

‘…Means the Tower can’t touch my stats other than magic?’

Should he say it was expected from the Rank SSS Personal Skillbook? Yoon-seok obtained a great weapon. Furthermore, it didn’t end there. He still needed to add a characteristic.

*King Muscle: When Strength stat is 3 or more levels higher than the opponent, Strength stat has 1.5x more efficiency.

*Rebellious Muscle: When the opponent’s Strength stats are 3 or more levels higher, the Strength stat has 2x more efficiency.

The additional effects this time were similar in type. One was the ability to be stronger when fighting the weak, and the other enhanced him when fighting the strong.

‘ Although Rebellious Muscle is higher in number…’

His Strength was at Rank SS anyway, and he could use Compressed Muscle to increase it higher. At this point, it was safe to say there was little chance for him to deal with enemies with higher strength than him in the future.

After much consideration, Yoon-seok chose King Muscle.

「King Muscle is added to Rank C effect of Unique Skill b Transcendental Muscles}.」

After completing the characteristic selection, Yoon-seok then paused midway. He looked down at his body.

“…?”

He didn’t even choose Charming Muscle, but somehow the muscles across his body seemed bigger and smoother.

‘ It’s probably my imagination.’

Yoon-seok drank another upgrade potion. There were three more until he reached Rank S.

Rank B — Dimension Muscle: The body ignores dimensional resistance.

‘ Dimensional resistance?’

It was a new type of ability. However, Yoon-seok expected it. The dimensional interference attached to b Devil} was threatening enough for the Tower to downgrade the ability. In that aspect, this dimensional keyword might play an important role.

*Justice Muscle: Obtains 75% magic resistance against subjects with higher magic stats than strength.

*Patience Muscle: When both feet are attached to the ground, durability stat increases by +8.

He chose Justice Muscle. Unlike Justice Muscle, Patience Muscle could be applied anytime, but he wasn’t particularly attracted to durability.

‘ Is there two more left…?’

Yoon-seok drank another and checked the tablet with a more cautious gaze. Rank A and Rank S. These ranks could make or break a Unique Skill…

Rank A — Injection Muscle: When hitting a friendly targets’ abdomen with a fist, you have a one million to one chance of permanently increasing their Strength stats by +1. The amount of increase due to Injection Muscle cannot exceed Rank SS, and the durability stat of the target must be above Rank A.

‘…What?’

He couldn’t understand, so he read it again and again. And if he understood correctly…

‘ I can increase the strength of other challengers?’

That made it safe to classify Injection Muscle as a growth-type skill. Instead, the problem was that it targeted others, not himself.

「You can choose the additional effect for Rank A.」

How could he utilize Injection Muscle? Yoon-seok read the other options first.

*No-loss Muscle: Doesn’t get destroyed.

*Possessions Muscle: Generates an amount of AP during muscle exercise.

Did the Personal Skillbook think it would make sense if muscle were attached to the end? Reading the characteristics of Possessions Muscle, Yoon-seok scoffed. The most important part was how much that amount was, but it was decent. However, Yoon-seok chose No-loss Muscle without room for consideration.

‘ Don’t get destroyed.’

He determined it to have a similar effect to ‘breaking things that cannot be broken,’ although he didn’t know what it meant exactly.

‘ As long as it’s a matter of existence, I have to choose it unconditionally.’

Yoon-seok took a short breath and reached out of the waiting room.

Swaaaaaaaaaa-!

It was still windy, but he didn’t feel the chill anymore.

‘ I have no idea if it’s because of dimensional resistance or this ability…’

Yoon-seok took the last upgrade, praising himself for choosing well.

「Rank of Unique Skill b Transcendental Muscle} increases.」

「 You’ve reached Rank S.」

The long-awaited Rank S.

「You can choose 1of the 4 effects.」

Now he had the chance to choose the basic effect.

‘ Starting with the first one.’

Yoon-seok read it with shining eyes.

*Time Muscle: Overwrites muscles of different times for 30 minutes. The appointed time targeting the muscles will be during their prime regardless of the future or the past.

Remaining usage 3/3.

First, starting with stats-increasing buffs, it was an ability that could sufficiently replace Last Command, which had been used up. Something was missing considering how much effort he put in, though.

What about the second one?

*Growth Muscle: The rank of strength, agility, endurance, and durability stats increases by an extra level.

In short, it was 1+1? If his stats ranked up by drinking a potion or training, they would go up by two…

‘ Holy…’

It was powerful. However, Yoon-seok still read the following option.

*Absorbent Muscle: In exchange for losing the magic stat, strength stat increases permanently by 3.

‘ Is this the final evolutionary version of Compressed Muscle I saw earlier…?’

There were too many things to give up in exchange.

‘ Rather, Growth is better than this.’

Thinking that Yoon-seok checked his last option. He let out the breath he was holding.

*Immortal Muscle: Stop the unstoppable.

The results were as good as set. Although he felt the need to increase his basic combat power in the battle against the King of Steel, the need for skills to counter the Tower was his priority.

‘ There’s nothing I can do even if it’s a pity. It’s best to choose this.’

Yoon-seok closed his eyes and finished choosing.

「New abilities will be given to Unique Skill b Transcendental Muscles.」

‘ Yeah, there are still additional effects left. If I choose well from there…’

「Rank S additional effect will be given.」

‘…?’

Unlike the previous ranks, no options for additional effects were given. Yoon-seok felt puzzled as he checked the tablet.

*Square Muscle — The effect of the muscle increases by 2x.

‘ No, wait a minute… increases twice?’

Yoon-seok hardened into stone and thought hard. If he chose Absorbent Muscle, it would increase by six times, not three, and the usage times and duration of Time Muscle would increase. Then, what about the Growth Muscle he wanted?

‘ No way, then by three?’

He was starting to feel a little disappointed. The reason was simple. Unlike Growth Muscle and the other effects, he couldn’t guess this at all.

Rank S — Stop the unstoppable.

What would change if this effect doubled?