The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 74
Grrrrk! Thududududu—!
A monstrous roar erupted.
The ground trembled.
With every quake, the shadow cast from behind crept closer.
A massive silhouette charged forward, blotting out the moonlight and night sky.
Gigatitan roared as it surged ahead.
At the front, Ppodong was sprinting.
His breath came in ragged gasps.
With heavy legs, he pounded against the earth.
But the distance between him and the pursuing Gigatitan was steadily closing.
Each time Gigatitan’s massive legs moved in sequence, its roars and the accompanying tremors grew ever closer.
‘There’s not much time.’
Lloyd glanced behind him.
At best, three minutes.
If he was being generous, maybe five.
Judging by the current situation, once that time was up, Ppodong would be caught by Gigatitan.
Of course, he and Javier wouldn’t be safe either.
Lloyd’s gaze sharpened.
‘Skill window. Asrahan Heart Technique.’
He opened the skill menu.
He selected Asrahan Heart Technique.
A list of skill information unfurled before him.
Ding-dong.
[Asrahan Heart Technique: Double Circle Lv 4]
[Mana Amplification Rate: 260%]
[Skill Exclusive Options: ① Energizer ② Potential Burst ③ Power-Saving Mode]
[RP Required for Next Level: 190]
[Current RP: 1901]
‘Good.’
Back in the ant cave, he had invested a significant amount of RP into the Asrahan Heart Technique.
That had allowed him to reach Double Circle Level 1.
Later, while making ice to store in the underground stone chamber in the orc settlement, it had risen to Level 2.
Since then, he had continued training whenever he had the chance.
Thanks to that, the Asrahan Heart Technique had now reached Double Circle Level 4.
‘Hah… I hope I have enough RP.’
Lloyd checked his remaining RP.
1901.
It seemed like it would be cutting it close.
‘Before, 500 RP was enough for explosive growth, but now, that’s barely anything.’
Now, leveling up just once required a hefty 190 RP.
And the RP cost would only continue to snowball.
‘Still, I have no choice. This is the only way.’
He had to push the Asrahan Heart Technique to Triple Circle.
Determined, Lloyd selected the menu at the bottom of the skill window.
[Would you like to invest RP to upgrade Asrahan Heart Technique?]
[YES / NO]
‘Of course, yes.’
He didn’t have the luxury of hesitation.
He nodded immediately.
Ding-dong!
[Skill Level Up!]
[Asrahan Heart Technique: Double Circle Lv 5]
[Mana Amplification Rate: 280%]
[RP Required for Next Level: 220]
[Current RP: 1711]
‘Hmm, this is looking bad.’
As new data popped up before his eyes, Lloyd clenched and unclenched his fists.
His mind whirred as he ran quick calculations.
‘Leveling up once increased the required RP by 30. If this pattern continues… I might not have enough RP to reach the final stage.’
A bad premonition set in.
Regardless, he had already decided—he had to reach Triple Circle.
But getting there required maxing out Double Circle to Level 10 before advancing further.
The problem was that his RP seemed to be just slightly insufficient.
‘If the RP cost keeps increasing as I expect… I might be short by about 51 RP at the final stage.’
Right now, there was no way to confirm that.
Actually, there was one way.
By leveling up continuously to see for himself.
‘Well, I’ve already started. No backing out now. Sink or swim, let’s do this!’
At this point, there was no turning back.
Resolving himself, he poured RP into the skill.
The levels shot up.
Double Circle Level 5 to Level 6.
Level 7 to Level 8.
Level 9 to Level 10.
And then he hit a wall.
Ding-dong.
[Skill Level Up!]
[Asrahan Heart Technique: Double Circle Lv 10]
[Mana Amplification Rate: 380%]
[RP Required for Next Level: 370]
[Current RP: 319]
“Damn.”
That bad premonition never missed.
Lloyd clicked his tongue.
His calculations had been annoyingly accurate.
‘Hah… is this for real?’
Unfortunately, it was.
Frustration bubbled up inside him.
‘I saved up so much for this.’
He had been hoarding RP like a miser.
He raised his favorability with Javier, the baron and baroness, and others, steadily accumulating RP.
He had undertaken numerous construction projects, earning large bonus RP rewards.
Every time, he was tempted to spend it.
But he resisted.
He told himself he’d save it for the critical moment.
That it was a precious resource, a secret weapon for the future.
He had treated it like a long-term savings plan, stashing RP away as if he were collecting restaurant loyalty stamps.
He had worked so hard to amass it.
‘And yet, I’m still short.’
It was beyond frustrating.
But he didn’t have the luxury to wallow in frustration.
Rumble! Ruuuuumble—!
The gap between them and Gigatitan had shrunk noticeably.
Meanwhile, Ppodong’s pace had slowed even further.
She was exhausted.
A solution was desperately needed.
At Level 10, the Asrahan Heart Technique’s Double Circle was neither here nor there.
‘I must reach Triple Circle. Only then can I use Confined Blasting!’
The only possible way to break through Gigatitan’s exoskeleton.
The requirement to make that happen.
‘I need RP! Right now!’
Lloyd’s mind spun at full speed.
He considered every possible method.
Finally, he reached a conclusion.
He raised one hand high.
Then swung it down with full force.
Smack!
Lloyd’s palm struck Javier’s unconscious cheek with a sharp slap.
He shouted.
“Hey, you bastard! Wake up!”
Smack! Smack!
He hit him again.
He grabbed his collar and shook him violently.
“Wake up! Open your damn eyes!”
Smack! Smack-smack!
He slapped and slapped.
Only on the same spot.
Javier’s cheek turned red.
After a few more strikes, Javier finally cracked his eyes open.
“Uuugh…”
Javier grimaced in pain.
His eyes, still clouded with confusion, flickered toward Lloyd.
“Lloyd… sir?”
A faint voice.
Lloyd’s face lit up instantly.
A wave of relief and joy completely took over his expression.
“That’s right, it’s me. You back with us?”
“Yes, a little… Ngh.”
“Don’t push yourself.”
Javier tried to lift his body, only to collapse again.
He gasped for air.
Lloyd quickly reached out.
Supporting him, he gently laid him back down.
He patted the exhausted man’s shoulder reassuringly.
“You’re pretty banged up.”
“But, Sir Lloyd, I…”
“I know. You still want to fight.”
“Yes, so I must—”
“No. Rest.”
“Sir Lloyd?”
“If you try to keep fighting now, you’re going to die. Is that what you want?”
“Of course not. But if I don’t step in, many people will get hurt.”
“And you don’t care if I’m devastated?”
“…What?”
Javier hesitated.
Lloyd let out a bitter smile.
“If I lose you, I’d be like an eagle with its wings clipped.”
“Sir Lloyd?”
“To be honest, I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to see you pushing yourself too far or willingly sacrificing yourself.”
“…”
“From now on, fight only for me.”
“But, Sir Lloyd, right now—”
“Leave it to me. I’ll fight here.”
“Sir Lloyd?”
“Do you trust me?”
“I…”
“I asked if you trust me.”
“…”
Javier’s gaze met Lloyd’s.
His eyes seemed to ask—was he serious?
Lloyd accepted that gaze without wavering.
Instead of speaking, he firmly pressed his lips together.
His eyes, steady and serious, conveyed his determination as he gave a slight nod.
“Sir Lloyd…”
Had the message finally gotten through?
Javier’s anxious expression eased.
The tension left his body.
A relieved breath escaped him.
“Then, I will… trust you… Sir Lloyd.”
“Good. Rest.”
“Yes… Sir Lloyd…”
Srrrk.
Javier’s eyes closed.
He exhaled the breath he had been holding.
His body fully relaxed as he lost consciousness once more.
And right then, the long-awaited notification appeared before Lloyd’s eyes.
Ding-dong.
[Javier Asrahan sincerely trusts your resolve and has found reassurance in your words.]
[Javier Asrahan is deeply moved by your willingness to fight for the greater good.]
[Javier Asrahan’s favorability toward you has increased by +4.]
[Current relationship with Javier Asrahan: +5]
[Significant relationship improvement with a key individual—72 RP acquired.]
[Current RP: 391]
[Javier Asrahan’s intimacy rank has risen from <Casual Acquaintance> to <Mild Interest>.]
[Bonus for intimacy rank increase: Additional 25 RP acquired.]
[Current RP: 416]
‘Nice!’
Lloyd clenched his fist.
The emergency RP extraction—no, exploitation—operation had been a success.
‘Whew, I almost cringed myself out of existence.’
He had put in the effort to wake Javier up.
Barely managed to keep him conscious.
Time was short.
Before Javier lost consciousness again, he had to spew out every dramatic line he could think of.
Spouting them had nearly made him physically ill. He had to fight the urge to gag while resisting the sensation of his intestines shriveling up from secondhand embarrassment.
But it had been worth it.
Javier, caught off guard by the heartfelt speech, had completely bought it.
He had declared his trust in Lloyd and heroically(?) passed out.
And his favorability had increased.
‘Thanks to that, I scored a solid 97 RP.’
The final hurdle to upgrading the Asrahan Heart Technique to the Triple stage.
He had been just a little short of RP.
Now, he had more than enough to cover the cost.
Lloyd opened the skill window.
Without hesitation, he invested the RP.
The awaited message flashed brightly before him.
Ding-dong.
[Skill Rank Up!]
‘This is it!’
Lloyd cheered internally.
Another major barrier had been overcome.
He quickly read through the system messages appearing before his eyes.
[Asrahan Heart Technique has advanced to <Triple>.]
[With this rank upgrade, all previously unlocked skill options have been enhanced.]
[Asrahan Heart Technique: Triple Circle Lv 1]
[Mana Amplification Rate: 500%]
[Skill Exclusive Option ①: Energizer (Enhanced) – Maximizes the efficiency of Triple Circle. When activated, you will be able to move without exhaustion for 20 minutes. (Limit: 2 uses per day.)]
[Skill Exclusive Option ②: Potential Burst (Enhanced) – Pushes the Circle’s amplification power to its absolute peak. When activated, mana amplification increases up to 5x for 30 seconds. However, after use, the user will enter a fatigued state and be unable to use the Asrahan Heart Technique for the next 24 hours. (Limit: 1 use per day.)]
[Skill Exclusive Option ③: Power-Saving Mode (Enhanced) – Allows minimal use of the Asrahan Heart Technique even in extreme exhaustion. During activation, mana amplification remains fixed at 25%.]
[RP Required for Next Level: 500]
[Current RP: 46]
‘Holy… this is insane.’
Lloyd’s eyes widened.
The Asrahan Heart Technique’s mana amplification rate had skyrocketed to 500%.
To prove it, a new ring formed around his heart.
Bzzzzzt—!
A third circle wrapped around his heart.
It resonated with the two existing circles, beginning to spin.
The effect was astonishing.
Thump! Thump-thump!
His heart pounded harder than ever.
Blood surged through his veins at an overwhelming speed.
And that wasn’t all.
Even his breathing changed.
With just a single breath, his muscles seemed to fill with strength.
He didn’t even have to focus—just inhaling naturally had that effect.
It was like absorbing steroids through the air in real time!
‘This is insane.’
So this was the power of the Triple Circle.
Lloyd felt the overwhelming difference that came with advancing just one stage of the Circle.
‘And even the options have leveled up.’
All three of his previously owned skill options had been upgraded across the board.
Energizer’s activation duration and usage limit had doubled.
Potential Burst had gained an extra ten seconds of usage, and its amplification rate had been inflated to five times its original power.
Power-Saving Mode had improved as well.
‘The emergency amplification rate increased from 10% to 25%.’
A 15% difference in amplification even in a state of exhaustion.
That difference could be the line between life and death in a crisis.
But his growth didn’t stop there.
What truly shocked him was an entirely unexpected development.
Ding-dong.
Another notification rang in his ears.
Immediately after, a completely unforeseen message appeared before his eyes.
[With the skill rank upgrade, a new skill option has been unlocked.]
[Skill Exclusive Option ④: Circle Shift – Allows manual adjustment of the RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) of each mana circle to six preset stages (1-6) and maintains a fixed rotation rate. This option will be highly beneficial for beginners using Confined Blasting.]
‘What the…?’
A message he hadn’t even considered.
A new possibility he had never expected.
As Lloyd read it, his eyes glowed with the thrill of victory.